Science Doesn't Have All the Answers
by Eternal Flight
Summary: His past brought him to acknowledge her. Her past kept her from getting to close to anyone. Through their pain and darkness, can they find a way to help each other find a hope for the future? AlXOC
1. Collide

"Science Doesn't Have All the Answers"

_His hair was the color of a beautiful young tree's bark. His build was large and muscular; like a strong fortress she could run into. From the back, he resembled a grizzly bear, but in a cute way. A very cute way.._

"Ma'am? That'll be four dollars and fifteen cents." The cashier's voice flooded into Casiphee's head, stopping her mindless rambling of the man that was just leaving the grocery store.

Casiphee drifted her large, hazel eyes back to the cashier and gave an apologetic smile. She handed the cashier the money and grabbed her brown bag of groceries. Putting the bag in the crook of her left arm, she headed out of the grocery store in hot pursuit of the man. As soon as she stepped outside, she felt the frigid air of the ending winter seep through her skin, chilling her to the bone. Shivering, she pulled the hood of her leather-like jacket around her head and used her free hand to pull her jacket closer as she walked off in the direction she had seen the man go earlier.

While she tried to dodge the mobs of incoming people and look for this man she soon became smitten with, Casi had time to think:

"_Wow..What a cute guy! Maybe, if my thoughts are right, he'll be the perfect guy for me! I just need to 'accidently' bump into him and_ _talk to him for a bit. If all goes well, I'll ask him to come with me to come and feed the ducks while we talked about ourselves!_ _Yes!! This will sure make Pop's happy too! He always wanted me to settle down since I was old enough_ _to get married! This wi-"_

Her thoughts were interrupted as she collided abruptly with a person in front of her. She lost her balance and fell over backwards, dropping her bag of groceries onto the walkway. The bag of bird seed mix broke open, spilling all of its contents out.

"Oh my! I'm sorry!" A voice said in front of Cassie.

"Great..just great!" She mumbled, finding that the smitten guy was no where to be found.

"I'm really sorry, miss. Really." The same voice from before said, breaking Casi out of her trance.

Casi stopped her pointless looking for the man and looked in front of her. There, there was guy around her age down on his knees, making her realize that he was the one she had bumped into. He had medium length golden blonde hair and bright green eyes. His face was creased into a stressed frown as he fumbled to scoop up the massive amounts of bird seed in the walkway.

Casi shook her head. "It's not your fault. I was..just to excited about feeding the ducks."

He scooped up a majority of the seed back into the now crumpled brown bag and gave Casi an apologetic smile. "Well, I hope that'll be okay. I'm really, really sorry."

She gave a shrug and crumpled the bag and put it under her arm. "It wasn't your fault. Thanks for helping me clean it up, anyway."

He gave her a cheery smile and got up. Noticing that she was still on the ground, he extended his hand out to help her get up. Casi took his hand with a thankful smile. As she got up, her hood flew off exposing her chestnut colored hair.

He stared at her for a moment, as if he was trapped in a memory. Casi, feeling odd under his stare, coughed, bringing the young man out of his trance. He looked at Casi and gave a shrug. She smiled and gave him a quick nod. "Well, thanks again. I've got to be going!"

Before he could stare or answer back, Casi ran off away from him. Once she was sure that he wasn't in view, she stopped running to catch her breath. She leaned against a lamp post and gave a sigh.

_Man, what a weird day! First, I couldn't talk to that hot dude from the grocery store, and then I embarrass myself! God!_

Huffing, she threw her hood back on and coninued walking. After about a block, she had the strangest feeling; the feeling that she was being followed. She looked behind her, but practically no one was there. She pulled her hood closer to her and walked faster.

"_Sheesh! Why would someone be following me?_ _It's so freaky! I guess this was how those celebrities feel when they have a serious stalker. Well, I'm almost home, where I know I'll be safe."_

She turned the corner and ran onto the now empty street. She ran down the street until she got to the large old gray house on the corner. It's lawn was well kept and even though it was an old house, it was perfect to live in.

Casi walked through the path she had made and took the long way to check on her garden. The spring flowers were becoming to come out of the dirt, and it made her smile. She watered them with the hose and walked back onto the path and opened the door to her house.

Dropping her bag off at the door, she took off her coat and boots as she smiled. Afterwards, she stepped into the main hallway and yelled "I'm home, guys!!"

Soon, a multitude of footsteps could be heard from above and soon the sound of happy barks filled the large house. A beagle and a black lab puppy bounded over to Casi, covering her with slobbery kisses. She laughed and petted each of them on the head.

"Hey Potato and Eb! I'm sorry I took so long!" She cooed, stroking each of their fuzzy heads.

They barked and nuzzled her to get up. Laughing, she did. "Come on guys, let's go eat! Everything that's happened today made me hungry!" She called, trying to forget about the weird feeling of being followed and the two men. Little did she know, she wouldn't.

AN: Yay! First chappie up! Please R&R!! (No flames, but criticism is allowed) I know there's no ties to FMA just yet, but there will be in the next chappie!


	2. The Pond

Chapter 2: The Pond

The next day, Casi cleaned her home and left Potato, her old beagle, to sleep his poor old heart out. While holding Eb, she had an idea.

"How about I play you a nice little song on the piano? Hm, Eb?" She said, facing the little puppy.

He barked a happy bark and she gave him a quick pat on the head. Putting him in her arms, she walked to the large music room on the side of the house. Opening the window, she sat Eb down there in the afternoon sunlight and then she sat down on the piano bench. Opening the music folder, she fingered through until she found a happy song that Eb liked to hear. Placing her fingers delicately in he keys, she started to play the upbeat tune. Eb sat in the window quietly, wagging his tail to the beat of the music.

The entire house was filled with the song, and it was so happy and calming that Casi couldn't help but smile. She picked up the beat as she approached the ending, Finally, she played the ending chord and the house was once again silent.

Casi walked over to the windowsill and picked up Eb. "So Eb, how was the song? Was it good?"

Eb gave a happy bark and licked her face. She laughed and soon the doorbell rang, making her jump in surprise. She put Eb down and walked to the front door. She opened the door and her mouth almost hung open in disbelief. Standing on the other side of the door was the man she had bumped into yesterday while she was looking for the guy from the grocery store.

Shaking off her shocked expression, she gave a welcoming smile. "Hi. Can I help you?"

He gave a smile and a hesitant shrug. "No, not really. I just felt bad that I ruined your day yesterday and that I broke your bag of bird seed. I bought you a new bag."

He extended a brown bag like the one she was carrying the day before. Casi was a little freaked out, but she couldn't help but smile. "That's really sweet...um.."

The guy ruffled his blonde hair. "I'm Alphonse Elric, but you can call me Al. You are?"

"I'm Casiphee Marpole, but everyone calls me Casi. Nice to meet you, Al."

There was an awkward silence between the two of them, but Al broke it when he gave a loud exhale and a smile. "Sorry for bothering you, Casi. Well, I hope that you get to feed the ducks today. See you around."

He turned to leave, and Casi looked down at the brown bag. _"Wow. This is the sweetest thing someone had done for me in a long time. Maybe I should invite him to come with me, since he did come all the way here."_

"Hey, wait a second Al. Do you want to come feed the ducks with me?" Casi asked, looking at the bag.

Al turned back around and gave another cheery smile. "Sure, if you want."

Casi gave a relieved sigh and fingered the bag as a chilly wind blew. "It's getting colder. Do you mind coming in for a second, Al? I need to get my coat and boots on."

He nodded and followed Casi in. Eb was standing next to the door, looking up at Al. Eb gave a protective bark, making Al notice him. Al smiled and kneeled down next to Eb.

"Hey there." He said happily, extending his hand out for Eb to sniff.

Eb sniffed his hand and giving a happy bark, licked his hand, his way of accepting and greeting Al. Al gave a small laugh and patted the puppy's head, making Eb even happier.

Casi came back in her coat and boots to see Al playing with Eb. The sight made her so happy, but she didn't know why. It was probably because no guy had ever given Eb so much attention. All the guys she had previously dated were not crazy about animals, and in the end, not that crazy about her either.She stepped closer, making Al look up at her, a smile clearly on his face.

"Your puppy is really nice." He said, getting up with Eb looking happily at him.

Casi smile. "Thanks. His name is Eb, and I guess he thinks you pretty nice too. Right, Eb?"

Eb looked at Casi, and gave a happy bark, making Al and Casi laugh. After they were done, she looked down at Eb, then back at Al. "You know what? I think we should bring Eb along, too. Fresh air would be good for him too."

Al nodded in agreement and picked up Eb, who snuggled into him. Casi put the bird seed in the crook of her arm and they headed out the door and towards the park, where the sucks were waiting. They were silent for a moment, and Casi finally spoke up, trying to break the silence.

"So..what brings you to the outskirts of Central, Al? I've been living here for a while, but I've never seen you around."

He scratched his head. "Wow, you're good. I just moved here, looking for a new place to live and a job. I've been going from city to city, but there hasn't been a lot of choices."

"I'm sorry to hear that. My first guess was when I saw you yesterday was that you were coming to visit some family or something along those lines. It seems like everyone had family in some part of Central now a days."

Al gave a small laugh. "Nope, but that's a good guess. The only family I have are my brother and sister-in-law in Resembool."

"You have an older brother? That's cool."

"Yep. Brother's two years older than me, but more than two inches shorter than me!"

Casi laughed. "That's so mean, Al! Height doesn't matter!"

He laughed, too. "That exactly what he thinks, but Win- I mean, his wife- and I loved to tease him about while we were growing up."

"Sounds like you're on pretty good terms with your sister-in-law. That's pretty odd, since I heard that in-laws are supposed to be evil or something."

He shook his head. "It's hard to think of her as evil. We, as in my brother, her, and I were all close friends since I can remember. Brother and I always oked when we were younger about who was going to marry her, but it was clear that brother was always the best for her. They make a perfect couple and a happy family."

The talk of a happy family made Casi feel like a shattered mirror. The tears welled up in her eyes, but she shook them away and forced a smile, changing the subject as they continued to walk.

"What kind of job are you looking for? Anything in particular that you've good that you loved as a child?"

Al looked down for a moment, a frown creasing his face. It was clear that when she said childhood, he didn't seem so happy. He looked back up at Casi, the frown replaced now by a slight smile. "Well, I'm good with my hands and fixing things has always been something I did with brother. I guess I work fine with people and animals, and the work area doesn't matter."

Casi gave a nod and thought for a moment. " Well, you seem like the type of person who needs to be around other people, so working in a shop would be a good choice for a job. Why don't you ask around at the shops around here?"

"That's exactly what I was thinking. Actually, I've already tried at some smaller shops, but they're all pretty much family owned and employed."

"Well, truthfully, there aren't that many jobs on the outskirts of Central. I'm pretty sure that there would be more jobs in the middle of central, so why not give that a try as well?"

He looked uncomfortable for a moment, and avoiding her gaze he replied with a solemn, but strong "No thanks."

The way he responded made Casi shiver. _" It seems like Al has a lot of stuff he's hiding from me. I know we just met, but I'm trying to help him out!_ _Why doesn't he want to go to downtown Central? Has he been there in the past? I wish I knew!"_

Casi looked away, unsure of what to say anymore. It was once again silent, but soon the sound of loud quacks filled the air. Casi turned to Al, and they both smiled.

"_Let the past stay in the past. He knows nothing about my past, so he doesn't have to tell me about his. I want to think about the future, and having fun with Al!"_

"Come on, Al!" Casi said happily, grabbing him by the arm.

Al laughed, but followed Casi's lead. They made their way through the people still at the park and over to the pond in the far left part of the park. Once there, they saw a few ducks were there, waiting around the edge of the pond.

"Hey guys! I brought dinner!" Casi said, stopping next to the water's edge.

The ducks quacked happily and gathered around Casi. Smiling, she took of her gloves and put the bag down on the ground. She opened the bag of seed and scooped some into her hands and offered it to the ducks. The ducks, knowing Casi, came fearlessly and ate the seed out of her hands. Casi started to laugh, because the ducks were tickling her as they ate. After they were finished, she turned her to Al, who was watching her with a smile on his face.

"Hey Al, do you want to feed them? I'll hold Eb." Casi said, gesturing towards the ducks.

He nodded and came forward, holding Eb out to Casi. She took Eb while Al went closer to the ducks. They all retreated, but Al sat down calmly and put some seed into his hands and waited. Slowly, the ducks came back and hesitantly, started to eat from Al's hands. Soon, Al was the one laughing.

"They tickle!" He chuckled, putting more seed into his hands.

Casi laughed, too and put Eb down to let him walk around. "They've been here as long as I can remember since I came to Central."

Al smiled a goofy grin. "You make yourself seem so old. How old are you, really? Eighteen? Nineteen?"

Casi huffed. "I'm flattered. I'm twenty-one for your information. Just how old are you, hm? Nineteen? Twenty?"

Al shook his head. "I'm twenty-four."

Casi's eyes went wide. Al look no where close to twenty-four. His face seemed so young, almost child-like. "Nuh uh! You look no where close to twenty-four!" She blurted out, then coveed her mouth.

He laughed at Casi and shrugged. "Thanks, I guess."

She looked away and then over to Eb, who was trying to play with the ducks. Al followed her gaze, and they both started to laugh as the ducks started to chase Eb back to where they were sitting. Al brushed himself off and went and got Eb. He came back and helped Casi to her feet. She gave a grateful smile and they made their way back to her house.

While they continued to talk, Casi suddenly remembered that she had left her gloves and bird seed back at the pond. She let out a sharp gasp, making Al look at her with a worried look in his eyes.

"Casi, is anything the matter? Is something wrong?"

She patted his shoulder. "I'm fine, but I just remembered that I left my gloves and the bird seed back at the park. Don't worry though, my hands are just a little bit cold and the ducks can eat some more."

Al looked at her, then back down the road where they had come from. He looked back at Casi and smiling, he handed her Eb. "Wait under that streetlight, Casi. I'll go back to the park and get them."

Before she could protest, Al ran back down the road, disappearing out of Casi's view. Casi, did as Al said and stood under the streetlight a few steps away. She held Eb close and waited patiently for Al to return. Soon enough, he did, carrying her gloves in one hand and the bag of seed in the other.

"Thanks Al. That was really sweet." Casi said meaningfully as she exchanged Eb for her gloves.

Al blushed and nodded his head, making Casi smile at how embarrassed she had made him. After she had put on her gloves, they continued their walk back to her house in a thoughtful silence.

Once back at her house, Al put Eb down first and helped Casi with her coat. Once gthey were done, they heard a tired bark and soon Potato came into view.

"Al, this is my other dog Potato. He's been with me since he's been born."

Al nodded and went over to Potato, who gave him a bark and a snif. He let Al pet him, then hobbled over to Casi, and gave a low bark.

"I know Potato, I know. Wait a minute and I'll get you and Eb dinner."

Al turned to Casi and gave her a smile. "I better be going, so you can eat. Thanks for inviting me to the pond, Casi. I really enjoyed it."

Casi smiled back. "Me too."

Al gave his goodbyes to each of the dogs and Casi, then started out the door. Once he was out the door, Casi looked on as he watched lonely down the pathway.

" _Al was so sweet to the dogs and to me as well. Who knows the next time we'll meet up again? He may leave here at any time, and I'll be all alone again. I.. I don't want to be alone anymore!"_

She walked out the door at a fast pace and stood on the pathway and called out "Al!"

He turned around and looked at her. She took a breath of cold air and looked directly at him. "Come over anytime you like, okay? If you need anything, or just want to talk, I'm here. This place will be open to you."

He didn't say anything for a moment, but then he let out a warm smile. " Thanks a lot. That means a lot to me. I'll come back later to tell you about my jobs, okay?"

She smiled. "Great! I'll be looking forward to that!"

It was silent for a moment, then Al gave a small cough. "Well.. Good night, Casi."

It was the first time in a long time anyone had ever cared to tell her good night. She nodded. "Good night, Al. Good luck."

He nodded and turned away and continued walking down the path towards the darkness and away from Casi, in the light. Casi, rubbing her hands, went back into the house and locked the door.

Eb and Potato were both looking up at her with big eyes, as if they were trying to read her thoughts. She smiled. "Aw, guys, quit that. Let's go ea-"

She broke out into a serious fit of coughs and sputters, making her dogs run forward, as she kneeled to the floor, clutching her side as she covered her mouth. Her vision was blurry for a moment, but it was soon over.

Casi looked at her dogs, who were waiting by her legs. She pushed herself up slowly and gave a weak smile. "Sorry, guys. Let's go eat dinner, okay? I'm starved!"

The pups, seeing her up, barked in unison and escorted her to the kitchen. Casi followed them, just as if nothing had happened.

AN: Here's a really long chapter. If you want me to continue this story, please R&R! I need at least three reviews too post the next chapter!


	3. Invitation

Chapter 3: Invitation

A month had passed by before Casi knew it. She spent time with Al, and his company was something she always enjoyed and looked forward to. Sometimes, when she wasn't feeling well, he would sit with her in the music room and read to her. His voice was always nice to listen to, and it put Casi at ease. He never question why she was sick, and she never told him.

One day, Casi left the dogs at home and went to a check-up at her doctor. They went through the regular check-up and the doctor turned to Casi with a smile. "Well, Miss Marpole, everything seems to be in good shape. Anything been bothering you?"

She looked down at her side, and shook her head. "Nothing other than the usual outbursts, but those have been on the down low since I have been staying in the house, out of the extreme temperatures."

He nodded. "That's good to hear. I'll be sure to send a message to your father with your check-up status."

She smiled and grabbed her coat. "Thank you for your time, doctor."

The older man smiled. "No problem. Here's your new prescription to take to the pharmacy. Hope you feel better the next time we meet."

She nodded and said her goodbyes to the doctor and headed out of the small clinic. She stopped by the pharmacy and turned in her prescription. While she waited, she went to the grocery store next door and bought some treats for the dogs and a few things she needed for lunch. It was really cold outside, making Casi feel drained of energy and coughing more than she liked.

After she had finished paying for everything, she grabbed her brown bag and headed back to the pharmacy where she paid for her medicine and was finally able to head home. She was quickly against the brisk winter wind and soon was at her house. Coming up the path, she saw Al's familiar brown jacket from afar and gulped.

"_I wasn't expecting him today. Didn't he say he was going to stop by on Friday? Oh snap!"_

She stashed her small bag of medicine into the large inner pocket of her coat quickly, before she could reach Al. She got closer and he finally turned around. Al had a big smile on his fac. "There you are, Casi."

She smiled. "Hi, Al. What are you doing here? I thought you were coming back on Friday."

He nodded. "I was supposed to, but something good happened."

"You got a job?!"

He frowned for a minute, then shook his head, the smile gradually returning. "Nope! I'll tell you inside, okay?"

She eyed him suspiciously, but opened the door to the house. She was so interested to find out what it was that he had to say that she took off her coat and hung it on the peg near the door.

"Let me drop off my groceries to the kitchen, then you can tell me about your good news, okay?"

Al nodded and walked off calling for Eb as he went. Casi shook her head playfully and dropped her bag into the kitchen and walked off to the music room, where Al was sitting in the chair, with Eb, across from the small couch.

"So Al, what's this good news?" Casi asked, plopping down on the couch.

"After I found my apartment, I sent my brother and sister-in-law a letter telling them about my luck...and about you. I just got a letter back from them saying they'd love for me to come back, and that they want to meet you."

Casi laughed. "My Al! What did you tell them that would make them want to meet me?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Nothing other than the truth, because you're great. Anyways, I called them and they arranged to meet us at their house in Resembool tomorrow. I came over to ask if you think it's a good time for you and if you want to come along to meet them."

"_Wow. Al wants me to go on a trip with him! Well, the doctor said my health is in good condition, and Eb and Potato should be okay, if the trips is only for a few days."_

"How long will the trip be? I need to make sure its not too long to make sure Eb and Potato will be okay."

"Well, we'll be leaving early tomorrow morning to catch a train, and spend the rest of the day with them, and spend the night, if that's all right. Then, we'll stay for half of the next day, and leave back and be home late that night. Do you think that's okay?"

Casi thought for a moment, then smiled. "Yep! It's fine with me!"

Al leapt off the chair and over to Casi, giving her a strong hug. "Alright! Thanks!"

"Al...too strong!" Casi gasped, making Al let go of her immediately.

"Sorry, Casi! I'm really glad that you can come!"

She nodded and they walked to the door. Al turned to her before opening the door. "Well, I come by your house and we'll go from your house to the train station, okay? The train leaves at eight, so I'll be at your house at seven thirty."

"Sure. Thanks for inviting me, Al. Have a safe trip to your apartment, and I guess I'll see you in the morning."

He smiled. "Good night, Casi. See you in the morning."

He opened the door and closed it before the cool air could seep into Casi's house. As soon as he closed the door, she let out an excited squeal and turned to Eb, who was standing right next to her.

"Yay, Eb! I'm going on a trip!" Casi said , making the little puppy bark happily.

She picked him up and called for Potato. She fed them and gave each of them a treat from the bag she had bought earlier from the grocery store. After they were finished, she filled their food and water to the max to last them for the two or three days she would be gone with Al.

After that, she walked up to her room and packed her bags for the trip. She hummed a little tune and the dogs joined in with their different yet happy barks. After she was finished, she spent an hour trying to find an outfit for her to wear the next day. She finally decided on a rosy pink long sleeved shirt , her favorite black jeans, and a dark suede coat instead of the okther one she trudged around town. She also pulled out her favorite necklace; a deep crimson rock that was naturally the shape of a tear drop on a dark ribbon.

After she slipped into bed with her two dogs, she looked up at the ceiling. The image of Al's smiling face filled her view and his voice telling her good night filled her ears. She smiled and cuddled into her pillow, falling into peaceful sleep.

Like Al had said the night before, he was at her house a minute before seven thirty. He took Casi's bag and after saying good bye to Potato and Eb, they headed to the train station. The train station was a good twenty minute walk from Casi's house, but it was nice since the streets were pretty empty since it was so early.

The train station was as crowded as ever, even this early in the morning. Casi stuck close to Al, and never let her gaze wander too much in fear of losing Al. After Al had bought their tickets, they walked over to the platforms to look for their train.

While Casi was walking, she soon her gaze stuck to something in particular. On the other side of the platforms was the guy from the grocery store. Casi knew she should look away and stick next to Al, but she couldn't help looking at him. She soon fell away from Al's side and was soon hit by someone cutting her path.

She fell to the ground and hit her hand on the scratchy asphalt. She looked up and that same person kept walking, as if they had never hit Casi in the first place. She realized that she lost sight of Al and started to worry.

"Al! Al!" She called out, but it seemed that the noise of the train station was drowning her voice out.

She waited a moment, and started calling his name again, but louder and more worry filled. The pain in her hand started to shoot through her body and she thought that she was stranded on the ground.

The tears fell down her face and she let her hair fall across her face. "AL! AL!!" She cried at the loudest she could.

She sat there for a few more minutes, her tears falling faster and her breathing uneven. Soon, the sound of familiar feet filled her ears and soon she could hear Al's voice right beside her.

"Casi! Are you okay?" Al asked, putting his hand on Casi's shoulder.

She wiped her tears away and nodded. "Yeah. I got kinda side-tracked and I knocked to the ground by some rude person. Then, I fell and hurt my hand and it hurt to get up. I couldn't see you any more, so I started to freak out. Sorry."

He wiped the hair out of her face and gave her an apologetic smile. "It's my fault. I saw you looking away, but I thought you were still paying attention to which way we were going. I turned around a little way before I got to the train, and that was when I realized that you weren't beside me. That was when I heard you screaming and I thought you got hurt or something bad like that."

He looked down on her hand, which was red and scratched from hitting the asphalt. "Here, let me help you up."

Al put down their bags and helped Casi to her feet, using her other hand. She wiped the lingering tears away and gave a smile. "Thanks, Al. Sorry for worrying you."

He grabbed their bags in one hand, and the other he put around Casi's shoulders. "Come on, Casi. The train's about to leave."

Without another backwards glance or thought, she nodded her head and let him lead her to the train not far away. Al showed the man asking for tickets their tickets and he found an empty bench in an emptier section of the train.

"Is this okay Casi?" Al asked as she sat down.

"Yeah, this is good. How long is this trip?"

He scratched his head. "Well, with stops and all, it should be a good few hours. Just take it easy and I'll tell you when we get close, okay?"

She nodded and gave a sleepy yawn. Al got up for a moment and took off his coat. He sat back down and held his coat out to Casi. "Here. You can used this as a blanket if you want."

She looked at him, in only a long sleeved white collared shirt. "Are you sure? You'll get cold."

He shook his head. "Nope, I'll be fine. Take it."

She took it and gave him a quick thanks. His jacket was much bigger than hers and was warm from him wearing it . She closed her eyes and tried to find a comfortable position. She triend putting her head against the window, but it felt like she was sleeping on a block of ice. She leaned the other way, and rested her head onto Al's shoulder. It was nice and soft, as well as warm.

Al moved his shoulder around her and her head was now rested against his chest. "Is that good?" He whispered in a quiet tone.

"Mm hm." She murmured closing her eyes, as she fell asleep on Al. He was so warm and comfy that she fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

AN: Yay! Another chapter! Thanks so much to ChrnoXXRosette and Jasmine Kitty for reviewing! Hugs and thanks to you! Now I need 4 reviews to post the next chappie! I know you can do it! -EF


	4. The Elrics

Chapter 4: The Elrics

"Casi, it's time to wake up. We've reached Resembool." Al's voice called as he gently shook her.

Casi opened her eyes and let out a small sigh. Al was smiling at her, and she couldn't help but smile back at him. After she had gotten up and stretched, she held his coat out. "Thanks for letting me use it. It kept me really warm, but I think you'll need it more than I will when we go outside."

He nodded and took it back from her. They walked out of the train to meet a cool burst of wind. Casi shivered and Al put his arm once again around. They walked that way until they got out of the train station, which was smaller than the one in Central. Al called for a taxi and soon one came to get them.

They got in and Al told the driver where to go. They passed through a small town, and soon into vast farms. Everything was covered in a blanket of snow and it made everything seem so beautiful and surreal.

"Wow, this is really pretty. Do your brother and his wife live on a farm like these?" Casi asked, turning to Al.

"Yep. It was the only place brother and I could always home, no matter what happened to us."

"I wish I had a place I could always return to..." Casi mumbled under her breath

"Did you say something, Casi?" Al asked, not catching what she said.

"Nope. Just mumbling to myself." She said, forcing a cheery smile.

The driver slowed down at a path that had a house no where nearby it. Casi was about to ask if this was really the place, but the way that Al was smiling made Casi know that this was his home. They paid the driver for his help and got out of the taxi.

Al took the bags and took Casi's hand in his own. "Come on, Casi! I want to show you a bit of the land before we actually go to the house. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure, Al. Whatever you want to do."

He grinned and led her down the path. The snow crunched under her boots and broke the silence as they walked. As they walked, Al would occasionally talk, telling Casi a little more about his brother and sister-in-law, and the fun they had as little kids. The land was huge; it was as if two houses could fit on the plot.

Finally, after a nice long walk, a quaint little farm house came into view, surrounded by a little wooden fence that surrounded the house. Al let out a happy sigh, and Casi was glad for one thing: he still had a home to return.

He squeezed her hand and led her in a faster pace to the front door. Once he was there, Al put the bags down and rang the doorbell. The sound of feet could be heard on the other side, and soon enough the door opened. A woman in her late twenties opened the door, smiling her head off. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was wearing a pretty pink collared shirt and black slacks.

"Al! Welcome home!" The woman called cheerfully, her blue eyes sparkling as she gave Al a hug.

Al let go of Casi's hand and gave her a hug back. "Thanks for inviting us, Winry. This is the girl that I was talking about in the letter. Casi, meet my sister-in-law Winry. Winry, this is Casi."

Winry gave Casi a cheerful smile and a hug as well. "It's nice to meet you. Al told us so many nice things about you!"

Casi laughed as they let go and shot Al a look. "Oh really?"

Al blushed and turned back to Winry. "Winry, where's brother?"

She shook her head. "He's up in the workshop, building something. You know Ed."

They both laughed, and Winry gave him another smile. "Why am I keeping you out in the cold? Come in! Come in!"

They both came in as Winry walked over to the stairway nearby. "Edward Elric!! You brother is home with his girlfriend!!"

"Girlfriend?!" Casi and Al said at the same time, looking at each other.

Soon, the sounds of something falling was heard, then the sound of footsteps coming down the stairs. Soon, a man who looked almost exactly like Al stepped out, wiping his hands on his blue sweatshirt. His golden eyes looked at Winry, shooting her an apologetic smile. He walked over to Casi and Al and gave a laugh.

"Well, if it isn't my baby brother!" he called, pulling Al into a strong hug.

Al laughed, patting his brother on the back. "Hey brother! I'm glad we could come!"

Ed nodded and let go of Al. He eyed Casi for a moment, then gave a smile. "You must be the Casi Al couldn't stop talking about on the phone and in his letter. I'm Ed."

She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Ed. Al talks about you a lot, too."

They laughed, and Casi felt really comfortable with Al's family. Winry shook her head and walked over to Ed, who put his arm around her, just like Al had done early with Casi. "Well, you must be cold from walking through the cold. How about I make all of us some coffee?"

Casi started cough, and she stopped herself before it got to bad. "I'm sorry, but I don't drink coffee."

Winry nodded. "I understand. Is some tea okay?"

Casi nodded and Ed led them to the kitchen table in the other room. They sat down and Ed gave Al a smirk. "So, how's your life been going, Al? People dying to have you work for them?"

Al looked down and shook his head. "Not really. I found an apartment that was pretty well priced, and I was able to pay it off with the money I had saved. There aren't that many jobs where Casi and I live, but I've gotten some pity from some people and gotten some small repair jobs."

Ed frowned. "Sorry to hear that. You never said much about jobs, so I thought you were doing well. I guess I don't know you as well as I used to."

They were all silent for a moment, but then Winry returned, carrying a tray with coffee, and a cup of tea for Casi. They all thanked her and she sat down next to Ed. "So, how's the job going?"

Ed shook his head and patted her hand. "I already asked, Win. He doesn't have a job yet."

Winry shook her head and shot Al an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Al. We just assumed that you were doing fine on your own. Well," she said, looking at Casi. "It's always good to have someone there to support you."

Ed shot Al a smirk. "Yeah! So, how long have you two been going out?"

Both Al and Casi blushed and started to cough. It was Al who recovered first. "Um.. Casi and I aren't going out. We just happened to bump into each other one day, and we became good friends since then."

Ed rolled his eyes. "You're just full of surprises ,aren't you, Al? Well, the way you talked about her and the way you guys are now, I just thought.."

Winry hit him on the shoulder before he could continue. "Stop embarrassing them, Ed! I'm sure there will be time for you and Al to talk privately. Now, how about we talk about something nice?"

She managed to change the subject, and they talk on and on, about anything they could relate to. Casi learned that Winry loved dogs as well and that she used to have one named Den. It was nice to have someone who liked animals around. As they continued to talk, Casi saw how much love there was between the three of them, and it made her feel so left out. Her family had never been this connected, as long as she could remember.

"Well, I kinda want to talk to Al in private. We'll go on a walk outside, and let you two girls talk about some silly girl things."

Winry laughed and hit him playfully on the shoulder. He laughed and gave her a kiss on the forehead and waited for Al to get up. Al turned to Casi and gave an apologetic smile. "We'll be back soon, okay? Have fun with Winry."

She nodded and the two brothers walked out the door, leaving the two women sitting at the table. Winry shook her head and gave Casi a small smile. "Boys.. They always have something to talk about."

Casi shrugged. "I guess so. I've never been around too many guys, let alone brothers. I only have a older sister."

Winry gave a sad smile. "I wish I could understand. I'm an only child."

It was silent for a moment, then Winry gave a small laugh. "I'm sorry. I think this is the first time in a long time my house has been this quiet."

"Really?"

"Yep. I always hear Ed working or the sound of something is always clear to hear. I kinda like it like this, but I rather have all the noise Ed makes."

Casi gave a bleak smile. "You must really love Ed, huh?"

Winry gave a big grin. "Yep. I loved him for a long time, and I guess he did too. He was always making sure I wasn't about to cry, or make sure I was in harm's way. I can tell him anything, and the same goes for him."

"I..I wish I had that."

Winry shook her head. "I think you do."

Casi looked down at her cup, hiding her blush from Winry. "Oh.. You mean with Al?"

"Yep. I can see the way he looks at you. It's totally different from the way he's ever looked at me or any other girl he's ever been around, which isn't that many. When you move, he totally adjust himself so he's near you, but you still have your own personal space."

Casi looked up. _"I never realized that before. Al really does all that when I'm around him? Wow." _She gave a small smile. "Really?"

Winry laughed. "Yep."

Soon, the door opened and the sound of Ed and Al's voices drifted into the kitchen. Winry smiled as they walked back in and sat down again.

"How was your chat, guys?" Winry asked, turning to Ed in specific.

Ed shrugged. "Good. How was yours?"

Winry and Casi passed looks and gave a laugh. The brothers looked at each other and scratched their heads. After they were finished, Winry got up from the table. "Well, you two must be hungry from the ride here. I'll go get dinner started."

Casi got up as well. "I'll help you out, Winry."

Winry gave her a warm smile. "Thanks, Casi. I really appreciate it. Come on."

They walked over to the stove and Winry gave Casi some small tasks, like making some salad or chopping something for the stew, or making toast. They continued to talk, and it was nice to talk while they worked.

Soon, Al came into the kitchen, followed Ed "Winry, do you still need any help?"

She nodded while stirring the stew. "Sure, Al. Can you help Casi set the table? Ed, you can help me carry in the food when it's finished."

They both muttered a yes and got off to their tasks. Casi handed Al the plates and she took the bowls for the stew. They walked over to the table in the other part of the kitchen and started to set the table. They talked a little bit, mostly about the snow and about the ride over here. Casi was about to put her next bowl down, when her foot got caught on the leg of the chair she was next to and she tripped. She started to fall, and braced herself for the fall.

"Casi!" Al said, catching her before she fell to the ground. She opened her eyes, and saw Al's face inches away from hers.

"You okay? What happened?" He asked, a worried expression creasing his face.

"I..tripped." She stammered, trying to look away from him.

"What?" He said, looking at her closer.

"...Nothing." She said, feeling his breath on her cheek.

"_He's so close to me. Why is it so hard to talk to him? Maybe Winry is right.. Maybe I do love him."_

"Casi?" Al asked, seeing her so silent.

"Al.." she said turning her head, so she was looking at him. Their faces were so close that their noses almost touched. He stared into her eyes and Casi watched as he closed his eyes and leaned closer to her. She closed her eyes and waited for their lips to touch.

"Hey guys, food is read- oh!" Winry said, coming into the room.

Casi's eyes flew open to see Al blushing furiously. She was blushing too, and Al released his grip on her and helped her stand up right. Winry was looking away; it was embarrassing to see your brother-in-law and close friend about to kiss some girl that you barely knew.

"What? Is something wrong, Winry?" Ed said, walking into the room carrying the bowl of salad.

Winry shook her head. "Sorry, Ed. I thought I saw a spider."

Ed looked over at Casi and Al, who were looking away and blushing. "Oh..a 'spider'. Well," he said giving a small chuckle, "let's forget about our little 'spider' problem and eat! I'm starved!"

The others nodded and they sat down at the table. Al and Casi sat next to each other, but neither of them said a word as they passed around the food, and it felt quieter than ever. Ed and Winry talk to Al, and he surprisingly answered back to everything they said.

Casi wanted to say something, but she didn't know. "_I feel so embarrassed! I was so close to kissing Al, then Winry came in. Ugh! Now everyone knows that we have mutual feelings. Anyways, it wasn't Winry's fault be-" _

Her thoughts were interrupted as Al grabbed her left hand and gave it a light squeeze. She gave a quick glance at him, but he was smiling and looking at Ed. She squeezed his hand back, making him smile a little bit bigger. She started to join into the conversation and everyone was happy and enjoying themselves.

Soon, everyone was full and the conversation was dwindling. Al gave a sleepy yawn and Casi felt bad that he as the one who had to stay awake so that they wouldn't miss their exit on the train. Ed started to laugh and Winry hit him on the shoulder, making him wince.

"It's not funny, Ed! They must be tired from the long train ride over here!" She scolded him like a child, instead of her husband.

"Sorry, sorry! It's ben a long time since I've heard Al yawn. Sheesh, Win."

Al shook his head. "It's okay, brother. Winry has always taken things too seriously."

The brothers smiled at each other, while Winry crossed her arms across her chest and let out a huff. They all laughed, and Winry gave up her mad act and began to smile.

"Well, it is getting late. Ed put your bags in the rooms you'll be staying in over night. Al, why don't you take Casi upstairs to her room and go to bed? We'll be up after we're finished cleaning up."

"Are you sure you don't need any help cleaning up?" Casi asked, not wanting to be a burden.

"Nope! Go on a get a good night's sleep." Winry said, giving her a warm smile.

Al let go of her hand and got up. "Well, we'll be off to bed then. Good night, Winry and brother."

Casi got up as well and said her good nights to the couple as well. They said good night back and they left the dining room. Al led the way to the guest bed room on the second floor of the farm house. He stopped outside of the first one and gave Casi a smile.

"This is your bedroom. The bathroom is down the hallway, the first door on your left. My room is all the way at the end of the hallway, if you ever need anything. Don't hesitate to knock, okay Casi?"

She nodded. "Thanks so much, Al. For everything."

He smiled. "It's no problem."

They looked away for a moment, and it was bothering Casi. She gave Al a hug and he, though at first shocked, put his arms around her.

"Good night, Al." She murmured into his shirt.

Al kissed the top of Casi's head. "Good night, Casi. Sweet dreams."

They let go and she gave him a warm smile before retreating into her room. The room was a cute little room, decorated in a beautiful green linen that made the room look comfortable to stay in. Just like Winry had said, her bag was laid on the bed, untouched.

She grabbed her things and wandered off to the bathroom. She took a hot shower and changed into her night outfit. She grabbed all of her other items and exited out of the bathroom. As she walked, she felt the cold wooden slates under her feet, making her shiver.

She got back to her room and left her door open a crack since the room was pretty dark. She put her bag on the floor and while brushing her hair. She felt really cold, even though in reality she shouldn't be.

Soon, pain shot through her lungs and her side and she started to cough. It started out a small chain of coughs, then they increased and became more painful. She fell to the ground, dropping her hair brush with a loud bang as she covered her mouth with one hand and the other to her side. She sat there, fear overtaking her like always.

She then heard the sound of footsteps and the door slowly opening. "Hey Casi, how is the room fo- Oh my God!! Casi!" Winry practically screamed, coming over to her.

She kept coughing, as Winry put her hand on her back, unsure of what to do. Finally, she started to call for Ed. "Ed! Ed! Hurry! Ed!! Edward!"

Soon, Ed rushed into the room and gave a loud gasp. "Winry, what's wrong?!" He soon saw Casi on the ground, coughing in a loud, painful way. "Oh crap! What happened!"

"I-I don't know! She was like this when I-" Winry started, but the sound of Casi's coughs dying made her stop talking.

"I...Im okay." Casi said in a raspy voice. Her face was pale and a little blood was on her hand.

As soon as Ed noticed that she was pale and had small droplets of blood on her hand, his attitude hanged completely.He crossed his arms. "We need to talk."

Casi was too tired to argue. "Fine, but please close the door."

"Why?" Ed snapped, peering at her.

Winry looked at Casi, then back at Ed. "Stop harassing her, Ed. Just close the door and turn the light on."

Ed looked at his wife, then obeyed. With the door closed and the light on, Winry helped Casi to the bed, while she and Ed stood.

"What's wrong with you?" Ed asked, staring at her pale face.

She looked away. There was no point in lying to them. They had witnessed her coughing, and there was definitely something wrong with her.

"I..I'm sick." She said with a pang of sadness.

AN: A cliffhanger! Yay! Please Review! Thanks to the ones who already have! I need seven reviews to post the next chapter!


	5. Sickness

_Flashback from the last chapter:_

"_What's wrong with you?" Ed asked, staring at her pale face._

_She looked away. There was no point_ _in lying to them. They had witnessed her coughing, and there was definitely something wrong with her._

"_I..I'm sick." She said with a pang of sadness._

Chapter 5: Sickness

"Sick? What you mean by sick?" Winry asked in a worried tone.

Casi looked away. No one had ever known she was sick, other than her doctor and her family.

"_I wish I could tell them, but it wouldn't be fair to Al. He has no idea. He's closer to me than anyone else, so he deserves to know first."_

"Sorry, Winry. I wish I could tell you, but there someone who deserves to know first." She said, avoiding her gaze.

Ed peered into her eyes, and soon Casi saw a flash of anger in them. He slammed his fist against the wall. "You haven't told Al yet, have you?" He asked in a somewhat angry whisper.

She shook her head. "No. He knows that I sick, but not to this degree. I wish it could stay this way, where-"

"Where what? He knows nothing until you're dying?!" Ed yelled, practically shaking the room.

Winry shot him a look. "Ed, just leave. I want to talk to her alone. I'll be back soon."

He gave her look, then softened his gaze. "Fine." He opened the door and closed it with a small slam.

"_Where what? He knows nothing until you're dying?!"_

Ed's word stuck like a needle through her heart. Casi started to cry, and Winry gave a sad smile and pulled her into a hug. Casi just started to sob onto Winry's shoulder, as if she was a little kid instead of an adult.

"I'm sorry, Casi. He doesn't know what he's saying when he's mad."

"That's not what I'm crying about! He was right, so right!"

She continued cry, and finally she stopped. She let go of Winry and gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

Winry got up, and gave a shake of her head. "It's okay." She walked to the door, then turned back to Casi. "Ed is right, though. You have to Al sometime before it gets bad He already had to go through something similar, and he has the right to know."

"Something similar happened?"

"Yep, and you'll probably find out tomorrow. Good night."

She left the room before Casi could asked what she meant. The room was suddenly silent again and Casi felt the worse she had felt in a long time. She shook her head violently and got up and turneoff the lights an slipped into bed.

Closing her eyes, there was only one thing going through her head; Ed's words. _"I want to tell him, but it's so hard!_ _Ed is right though. I have to tell him before he witnesses it firsthand."_

She finally had some peace, and fell into a sleep of mixed emotions, but sleep nonetheless.

--

"Casi, time to wake up. Breakfast is ready." Winry's voice called sweetly, breaking her out of her sleep.

Casi opened her eyes and sat up in the bed. She looked over at the door, where Winry was standing. She smiled and yawned a good morning. Winry said one back and headed out of the room, closing the door as she went.

She got out of bed and pulled on her outfit for the day and pulled her hair up into a tight ponytail with a ribbon that matched her sweater. She stretched and headed down the stairs to the smell of food coming from the kitchen. She saw that Winry was busy over at the stove, so she decided to go and wait at the table until she was finished.

She walked past Winry without bothering her and over to the table in the other room. Once she entered, she noticed that Ed was at the table already, drinking a cup of coffee. He gave her a smile as she sat down.

"Good morning." She said as she sat sent him a warm smile.

"Hey. Good morning." He said, looking up after he put down his cup.

They were both silent for a few minutes, but then Ed let out a huff. Casi was kinda worried that he was going to yell at her again about last night. She decided to look up, where she saw that Ed was running his hand through his hair.

"Listen Casi, I'm..er, sorry about what I said last night. I was mad and I spoke without thinking. It's just something we Elrics tend to do."

She shook her head. "No problem, Ed. I forgive you. I do the same thing."

He gave a relieved sigh as Winry came in, carrying a plate of pancakes topped with preserved fruits. As she placed the plate in front of Casi, she shot him a look.

"Thanks, Winry. It looks great." Casi remarked, making Winry smile a little bit.

"Your welcome. It's one of Al's favorite, and Ed likes it as well." She said before turning to Ed. He looked up at her and nodded his head. Winry patted him on the shoulder and gave him a kiss.

"Good. I'm glad that there's no hard feelings between you two. I'll be back with your tea in a minute, Casi."

Casi nodded. "Thanks."

After she came back with the tea, Casi ate in silence, because Ed was watching her. When she looked up at him, she saw something in his eyes; instead of the hint of anger that the held the night before, there was now a hint of sadness.

She wanted to ask him why he was looking at her like that, and what Winry had left unanswered the night before, but the front door opened, and the sound of familiar footsteps was heard echoing through the house.

"Al! You're back!" Winry's voice called.

"Yep. I got that wood that you needed. Where do you want me to put it?"

"Don't worry about it. It will give Ed something to do later on today."

"Okay. Speaking of brother, where is he? And what about Casi?"

"They're both sitting at the table."

Soon enough, Al entered the room, snowflakes in his hair and a big smile on his face. He looked so cute to Casi; almost like a little kid with that huge grin that he had on his face. It was almost funny, and it made Casi smile.

"Good morning, Casi. Good morning, brother." He said happily as he sat down at the table.

"Good morning." They both replied at the same time.

"Did you sleep well, Casi?" He asked, turning all of his attention to her.

"Yep. I slept perfectly fine the whole night through."

It was a lie, and Casi knew it. She just couldn't bring herself to tell Al, well not now at least. To make it worse, she felt Ed's gaze on her afterwards, making her feel ashamed.

Luckily, Al took no notice. "That's great. I slept like a log the entire night as soon as I hit the bed!"

Casi couldn't help but imagine this, and gave a small laugh. Ed laughed along with her, making the room ring with laughter.

"Well, " Ed said after the laughter came to an end, "what are your plans for today, Al?"

Al's face turned a little more serious. " I wanted to show Casi around the land. After that, I wanted to go and visit her."

Ed's gaze drifted to Casi for a moment, then back to Al quickly. "Sounds good to me. Just come back if the snow starts to fall hard, okay?"

Al nodded and got up from the table. "No problem, brother. Come on, Casi."

She nodded and got up. As she said goodbye to Ed, she noticed that same hint of sadness in his eyes. She felt a shiver run down her back the way he looked, it made it dread what those eyes knew. She quickly shook off the feeling as she walked out the door behind Al.

After putting on their coats, Al told her to wait in the hall as he disappeared into the kitchen for a few moments. When he came back, he wasn't empty handed. In his hand was a picnic basket.

"A picnic? In the middle of winter?" She asked, eying Al.

He laughed. "Maybe. Come on."

They stepped out of the house to meet the slowly falling snowflakes all around them. Everything in sight was covered in the beautiful white flakes, and it made Casi smile.

"It's so beautiful." She murmured, turning to Al.

"Yep. It's almost as beautiful as you." He responded, giving her a warm smile.

She blushed and gave a laugh. "Al!" She said, playfully hitting him on the shoulder.

He laughed, too, and took her gloved hand. "Sheesh! Anyways, we have a lot of ground to cover today before we leave this afternoon. Ready?"

She nodded and they started off on their walk. Al led her to various parts of the large farm. They stopped occasionally for a break or if Al had a story about they certain place they were standing near or on. It made Casi laugh, hearing some crazy things Al and his brother did as kids.

She learned some new things about Al. He told her that he was always really shy as a kid and his brother helped him break out of his shell. He was also always the cool headed one, which was obvious now to Casi after she saw how different the two brothers acted. She told Al a little bit about her childhood, and soon he was laughing at her crazy antics as a child.

After taking a long break, they two of them bounded down a hill. As Al helped Casi fing her footing as they walked down, she noticed that Al's mood got a little more serious and less playful. She stared at his face, and even though it held a smile, he had that same hint of sadness that Ed had early that morning.

"Al, is something the matter? You can tell me if you want." Casi said, peering at his face as they got to the bottom of the hill.

"Nothing you wont find out. The next place we're going.. Well. You'll see." He said, running his free hand through his hand.

They walked in silence, going towards a few objects in the horizon. Casi wondered what they were, but she didn't feel like asking Al. It seemed like this place held memories for him, but they weren't the happiest of memories from te way he was looking. After a good walk, Casi and Al got to the place in the horizon and she now knew why he had looked so sad. They were in a small cemetery.

Walking through the little pathway, Casi felt an odd sensation. It felt like this place was holding a deeper secret and sadness that Casi didn't want to know. If she was going by her own instincts, she would have turned and walked out of the cemetery and back to the farm house, a good long walk away. Instead, she held onto Al's hand a little tighter as they continued to walk in a silence.

Soon, Al stopped and turned to his left and stopped at a tombstone. Looking at the name it read : TRISHA ELRIC. Al sat down on the ground, and opened up the picnic basket. He pulled out a bundle of white lilies and placed them under her name.

"Hi mom. I'm back home. The snow is pretty, huh? You always loved to watch brother and I play in it. Well, I brought a friend with me. Mom, I want you to meet Casi."

Casi stood still, and murmured a hello. The two of them were quiet, when finally Casi spoke up.

"What was she like, Al?"

Al closed his eyes for a moment. "She was always sweet and kind hearted. My dad wasn't around much, so she took care of us the best she could, until Ed could help her out. She looked a lot like you; long, chestnut hair and brown eyes that shined all the time and made it look like they were laughing in the light. She was always making sure everyone was else was fine before she thought of herself. She was my hero."

Casi's throat tightened. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did she die?"

Al looked away for a moment, as if her didn't want to talk about. He looked back at the grave after a moment. "She was sick since I could remember. None of us really knew what was wrong with her, because she always pushed herself to make everything seem okay. It was something nobody could cure. I didn't know about it until she was dying and in bed all the time. She died a little bit after I turned six."

"_Where what? He knows nothing until you're dying?!"_

"_This is why Ed and Winry wanted me to tell Al so soon. They didn't want to put him through it all over again. I..I feel so horrible now! I'm going to put Al through this all over again! I'm so horrible! He doesn't deserve to go through this!"_

She started to cry, and kneeled down onto the snow beside Al. Al looked at her and put his arms around her. She cried onto his jacket, but she couldn't say anything. She felt so bad. She wanted to leave him here in the snowand run away fro him and leave him where he could be happy and not go through the same thing over and over again.

"Casi, are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?" Al whispered into her ear.

She shook her head and continued to cry. They just sat there for who knows how long, Casi crying her feeling out onto Al, who sat there, patting her back. Soon, she finished, but she couldn't bring herself to smile or tell him she was okay. She would never be okay.

Al, put his hands around her face and turned her head so the she was looking directly at him. "Casi, I just want you to know whatever you're going through, I will be there for you the best I can. I will never leave you in your times of need."

"Thank you." She said, her tears still falling.

He pulled back into his arms, and she closed her eyes and just sat there, not wanting to move. They sat there for a moment, then Al let go of Casi and got up. He held his hand out to her, his warm smile on his face like always. She slid her hand into his with a new found strength.

"_I won't be alone anymore. Al will be here for me. His smile and his hand are all I'll ever need. I don't have to cry anymore."_

She got up, and Al put his arm around her. Casi put her head against Al, and they started to walk up the hill. They turned to the right, where they walked further away from the house. Al pulled Casi along, and she looked up at him from time to time, and he always gave her a smile that always disappeared as soon as he thought she looked away.

Al soon stopped abruptly and turned to his left, where a large tree stood with a lonely, old swing that was covered in a deep blanket of snow. They walked closer to the tree, but Al stopped before they got to the tree.

"Hey Casi, guess what?" He said looking around.

"What?" She asked, looking up at him.

"The place where you're standing was where our house was; the place where our mother died. It was burned to the ground."

She gasped. "What?! Why? Who burned it down?"

"Brother and I.." was all he said.

Casi looked up at him to see the pain in his face. He looked uncomfortable here, like it held some horrible memory. Casi felt this feeling; like it was all part of a horrible nightmare that someone lived once.

She looked at the ground around them, and imagined Al growing up here with Ed and their mother. They seemed so happy, all of them smiling and laughing. It was like Casi's family before Casi was old enough to know what she wanted with her life.

"_Al and I have so much in common from our pasts. We seem so connected to our families, but in reality we're a broken family. We both have had our share of sickness, sadness, and regret. It's all apart of circle that will never end. It's like a curse, none of us had any right to choose."_

"Al, if your house was burned down, what house are Winry and Ed living in now?" She asked looking up at him.

"Well, Winry had a grandmother who was really close to our parents. After my mom died, she took us in like her own grandchildren. It was nice, having a place we could always return to. She died shortly before they got married, and she gave it to them as a wedding gift in her will. She lived a good long life."

Casi nodded. "She seems like a sweet old lady from what you said. I wish I could have met her."

Al smiled. "She was. If it wasn't for her and Winry, I don't know where we would have been."

"I understand. It's always good to have somebody to support you, huh?"

They both laughed, remembering how Winry had said to them, thinking they were a couple. Even though it was funny, they both knew that it was true.

"Well, are you ready to head back? You look like you're about to be the most beautiful frozen maiden ever." Al said, after he turned to her.

She huffed and hit him. "Stupid boy! You so mean!"

He laughed and pulled her by the arm. "Come on, beautiful maiden! Your castle is on the horizon!"

She laughed and pretended to curtsy. " Of course, sir. And who would you be? My noble steed?"

He shook his head and pretended to bow. "What an insult! I'm your noble guard! Do I look like a horse to you?"

She laughed. "Well, noble guard, what are we waiting for? Off to my castle!"

"Off we go! Hurry to your dream castle!"

They started to run through the snow, towards the farm house. They were laughing and smiling the entire way, their feet kicking up snow and their breaths in front of them, like they were leading the way. Once the house was in front of them. Al stopped running and turned to Casi.

"Well, princess, we are back at the castle. Everyone is waiting for your grand entrance. Are you ready?"

She turned to him and shook her head. "I'm not sure. I don't think I'm fit to be a princess. What do you think, noble guard?"

He placed his hand on top of hers and gave it a squeeze. "I think you are. Anyway, I'll be with you every step, so don't worry, you won't be all alone."

She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Thank you. You are a noble guard in deed."

He blushed and gave a large smile. They started off to the house, hand in hand. Casi felt so happy that she forgot about all that happened before. She wanted every moment to be like this, Al beside her, leading the way wherever they went together.

Once inside the house, they walked in to see Ed waiting in the hallway, their bags packed and ready to go beside him. He gave them a smile as they shook the snow out of their hair.

"Welcome back. How was your walk?"

Al and Casi both smiled. "It was nice. The snow wasn't bad at all, so we did everything we needed to do."

"Casi, everything okay for you?" He asked, gazing over at her.

She looked up at Al. "Nothing I couldn't handle. It was a beautiful walk."

He nodded. "That's good to hear. Not many people could take in so much at once. I guess your different, just like Al thought. Well," he said, standing up, "I took the liberty of calling the cab for you. It should be here as soon as Winry's done."

"What's Winry up to now, brother?" Al asked, giving a small laugh.

He scratched his head. "Oh you'll see.."

Soon enough, Winry came into the hallway, carrying a large white box. She smiled at everyone as she stood next to Ed. "Welcome back. How was your walk?"

Al smiled. "Great. What's in the box?"

She smiled and opened the box. Inside was a large pie. "Pie! Wow, Winry!" Casi exclaimed, a little jealous of the perfect pie. She really never cared much for cooking, since she lived alone.

Winry laughed. "Thanks. It Ed's favorite, apple pie. I made it for you to eat when you get back home." She extended the box out to Casi, who took it with a smile.

"Thank you so much! Are you sure don't want Ed to have it?" Casi asked, glancing over at Ed.

"Nope. I made two, so Ed has a whole pie to pig out on with me. How could I torment my poor husband like that? I'm not that cruel!"

"Sure.." Al and Ed responded, getting a glare from Winry.

Soon, they all started to laugh, but was cut short as the honk of a car was heard. "Well," Winry said, glancing over at Al and Casi, "I guess it's time to say good bye. Time sure flies!"

She came over and gave Casi a hug. "Take care, Casi. Watch out for Al, okay? Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

Casi laughed. "Okay. I'll be on the alert."

Winry let go and gave her a warm smile, and gave Al a hug as well. They laughed at something she whispered to him, and then they let go. Ed came over and gave Al a hug and ruffled his hair.

"You guys have a good trip, okay? See ya when we see ya." Ed said, giving both of them a smile as he handed the bags to Al.

"Thanks. It was nice meeting you." Casi said as the door opened.

Al took the bags and Casi followed behind him down to where the cab was waiting. They put the bags in, then scooted into the back seat. As they pulled away, they turned back to see Ed with his arm around Winry, the both of them smiling and waving. Casi and Al waved back until they were out of sight.

Neither of them spoke the whole way to the train station. Casi looked at him occasionally and he gave her a goofy smile, making her smile as well. Once at the train station, Al bought their tickets and they started off to the platforms, except this time with no distractions. Casi linked her arm with Al's and they walked like that the entire way to the train, so there was no way they would get separated.

Once settled onto the train, asi leaned against Al the way she had when they were coming up to Resembool. He smiled down at her and she smiled back and closed her eyes as the train started to move.

"Al?" She asked almost asleep.

"Hm?"

"Thanks for pretending that I was a princess. It's always every girls' dream to be considered a princess by someone."

He gave a quiet chuckle. "You're welcome. Actually, you're a princess to me all the time. It's not pretend."

She smiled and snuggled into him. "You're so sweet. Are you sure you're not a prince in disguise?"

He laughed again, like a lullaby that Casi loved. Letting it ring sweetly in her ears, she fell asleep.

--

"Princess, we're here. Time to wake from your dreams." Al's viced called, waking Casi from her wonderful nap.

"Mmm.." She replied after letting out a yawn.

She opened her eyes and looked up at Al, who had a large smile on his face and a look of laughter in his eyes. She smiled back at him and sat up.

He got up and helped her up, and then grabbed their bags. Walking out of the train, they linked arms and started to walk to Casi's house. They talked about what Al had seen while Casi slept on the ride home. He made up some pretty funny stories, and Casi joined in with some silly stories about what she had dreamt about while they were in train.

They talked so much that it felt like it was a short walk to her house. Once at her front porch, Casi turned around a gave Al a huge smile. "Thanks for inviting me, Al. I really enjoyed meeting Winry and Ed. You have a really sweet family."

He smiled and scratched his head. "Thanks. I'm glad that you had fun."

They were both silent for a moment, thinking about the things they did at Resembool. Finally after a long thought, Casi leaned over and kissed Al on the cheek. "Good night, Al. Be sure to come over for some apple pie, okay?"

He smiled. "Sure thing. Good night, Casi."

She turned and unlocked the door and put her bag down at the down to see Eb sitting in the middle of the hallway, looking up at her with big puppy eyes.

"Eb! I'm back!" She said happily, giving him a smile.

Eb barked and ran over to Casi, licking her wherever he could. Casi laughed and picked up the puppy, making him bark even more. She patted him on the head and put him down.

"Potato! Come here, boy!" Casi called loudly into the house.

After a few moments, she heard a low bark and the sound of slow footsteps coming down the stairs. Soon enough, Potato was in the hallway, shaking his old tail.

"Hey boy. Sorry if I woke you up. Feeling okay?" She asked, squatting down to rub his head.

He gave a few low barks, reassuring Casi that he was okay. Laughing, Casi stood back up and turned to the open door. Going to it, she looked outside to see if Al had already left. Sure enough, his figure was disappearing down the path.

Casi felt a long, cold shiver run down her spine, so she turned back to the dogs as she slowly tried to close the door.

"Hey guys, how 'bout I get you guys some tr..tr..tr-"

She started to cough violently, her lungs clogging and her heart pounding loudly. She fell to the ground, her dogs rushing over to her side. She kept her eyes open and moved her hand away from her mouth. She knew this wasn't going to end good.

"Eb," She said between coughs, "Al...help...GO."

The little puppy looked up at her with his big eyes, then barked and ran out the door that was still opened a crack. The coughs became so intense the Casi's body went numb and she started to lose consciousness. The last thing she remembered hearing was Potato's low howl and then everything went black.. Pitch black and cold.

AN: Yay! Next chappie! I know I said seven reviews, but six is close enough. Thanks ChrnoXXRosette for reviewing! For the next chapter I need eight reviews!


	6. Sickness Pt2

Sickness Pt. 2

--

"_Casiphee! Get back here right now! I'm not finished!" Her mother's angry voice flooded into her head as she ran onto the path that led away from the house._

"_No! I'm sick of you, mom! I'm me and I'll never change for you or any one else! Leave me alone! I hate you!" Casi screamed, still running down the path her tears spilling down her face._

"_Stop this stupid attitude, Casiphee!! You're about to turn eighteen and be sent out into e world! Give up on marrying a guy who loves animals and find one who will take care of you!" Her mother carried on from the porch._

_Casi cupped her ears and continued running down the path to the road. The sound of rumbling tires come into her ears and she saw the increasing light of a truck's headlights. She heard her mother's voice carrying on in the far distance and she shook her head, and ran out into the street in front of the truck. _

_The loud noise of the truck's horn was heard and the truck ran her off like a plank of wood. She felt herself flying through the air and then pain shot through her body as she hit the ground with a sickening. She saw the color red and a coll liquid engulfing her. Screaming, she fell into a pit of darkness that surrounded her like an ice cube._

_- - -_

Casi heard the sound of hushed footsteps and multiple voices and wheels squeaking. As of it was a second home, she immediately knew where she was. She was in the hospital.

Opening her eyes, she turned to see the streams of morning sunlight breaking through the cracks of the curtain in her room. The room was painted a cheery shade of blue, as if it was supposed to make the patient forget about the pain they had or were still going through. There was also a little table in the back of the room, along with a cushioned chair.

Looking down on that side of her body were three small tubes attached to three separate machines. One was an IV, the other larger one was circling from the machine to her and back carrying blood. The last was a tube that led into her nose, helping supply a sufficient amount of air just in case she couldn't on her own.

Casi soon got the feeling something or someone stirring beside her. Turning her head, she saw a chair beside her with someone sitting in it. It was none other than Al. He was asleep, his eyes closed and his breathing deep and even. His clothes were somewhat messy, as well as his hair, as if he hadn't been himself for a while. The other thing she noticed was that he was holding her hand, protecting her in that small way.

"_He was able to save me. I'm so glad. If he wasn't there, who knows what could have happened to me? I might have died." _

Casi shook that last thought out of her head and stared at Al with a tiny smile creasing her face.

"_I shouldn't be thinking like that. I should be glad he's here with me."_

"Al..." She said in a raspy, airless voice.

His eyes immediately opened and Casi got a better look at his face. He looked as if he needed the sleep he was just in, and his face look liked he had been crying beforehand.

"Casi! You're awake! Thank God!" He cried, giving her a light hug.

"Yeah. How long have I been asleep?" She asked, looking up into his weary eyes.

He shook his head.sadly "You've been asleep for two whole days."

She shook her head. "I thought so. I'm sorry for worrying you."

He gave her hand a light squeeze. "Worried is an understatement, Casi. I thought you were dead when I ran into the house after Eb. You were just laying there, not breathing and cold to the touch. I was worried, but I think saying I was about to go crazy is a better way to describe how I was feeling."

She closed her eyes for a second and gave a sigh. "I knew Eb would find you. He's a good dog; never let me down."

Al was silent for a moment. "You seem so settle about being in a hospital room. Something tells me this isn't the first time this has happened, right?" His voice a shaky whisper.

"Right." Casi said truthfully, looking away knowing she couldn't hide the truth from him any longer.

"What's wrong with you?" He asked.

"It's a story. Are you ready to take it in?" She asked, looking at the window.

After a moment, he squeezed her hand. "Casi," he said, trying to sound strong, "I'm ready."

She took in a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. "It was a few weeks before my eighteenth birthday. My mother and I had never really gotten along when I grew up. Let's just say, she favored my older sister Lilly to me. We were in the den, talking about my birthday when the subject of marriage came up. I loved animals since I was a little girl, and she knew that I wanted to marry a guy who loved animals as well, but she didn't care what I wanted, only what she thought would best suit me to settle down into a happy life as an adult."

"Well, we started to argue about our viewpoints on the subject, and then Lilly started to take her side as well and I knew that when my birthday came around, I would have no say in anything anymore. It wasn't like I did anyway. My father heard us and immediately ran to his office, blocking out all of us like usual. He and my mother had an arranged marriage, and they expected Lilly and I to do the same. He was a soft man, and he was the only one who cared to listen to me from time to time. Even then, I was still alone against my mother and Lilly. He hated arguments."

"We got into a very loud and heated argument. I brought up the topic of Lilly, whose husband was going to train to be a man in the military here in Central. I couldn't stand marrying some dog of the military. It wasn't what I intended for me to be for the rest of my life. Well, I ended up telling her exactly that, and got smacked a good few times across the face. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore and I got up and ran out of the house, away from her and everything she intended to do."

"She pursued me down until the porch, where she screamed insults at me where even the neighbors could hear. I ran all the way down the path to the street when I soon realized something, something that I couldn't shake off because it was true. I could never run away from my mother. She would always be stronger than me, and would have her way. I knew now I would have to run away or die to get away from her."

"As if an answer to my prayer, I saw the faint light of a truck's headlights coming down the street. I knew that this was the fate I was meant to live. I ran into the street as the truck rolled down by the path of my house. It hit me and I flew into the air and was thrown into a sewer. I screamed and the truck guy ran out and saw me in the sewer, now unconscious and bleeding severely. He picked me up and carried me all the way to my house, trying to find help."

"Well, my mother saw me and went into hysterics and called for my father. He was cool headed and called for an ambulance. They wheeled me into the emergency room. My right kidney was destroyed and my left wasn't in the best shape either. They had to do an immediate surgery to remove my right kidney where they realized that my lungs were about to collapse. They worked quickly and removed the kidney and started to work on my lungs. Blood was pooled in the bottom of my lungs, but they couldn't drain all of it without risking them collapsing entirely. They got a small amount out, but that was the best they could do."

"I spent the next few months, including my birthday, in ICU. My heart wasn't strong enough to pump so much blood to one imperfect kidney, and my lungs weren't of much help either. My mother gave up on me and left me in the hospital to die. Everyone thought I was going to die, except for my father. He kept me there, on life support, on the verge of life and death. I wanted to die, to at least please my mother with one thing in my life. There were so many times when I saw the light and the gate to the other side. Fate was cruel and left me here."

After a bitter laugh, she continued. " I slowly recovered to the point that I today. They gave me a week to see if I could live on my own with just some medication to help my blood flow easier. I didn't want to go home and face my mother any more. After speaking to my father, he agreed as a very late birthday present to leave my hometown and run away to somewhere my mother could never find me. He bought me the house I live in now, and after that week, they released me. He brought me all of my things in secret throughout the week, and smuggled me out of the town. I moved into the house and have been living a quiet life ever since, estranged from everything I knew. The only thing I ever get that relates to my family is a secret check every year from my dad to pay for food and doctor's visits. The end."

Turning to Al, she gave a deep sigh. It was silent for a few moment, but then Al's shoulder started to shake violently and the tears ran down his face. "Can't they do anything to stop it? When will it end?"

She pulled his hand and put it on top of her heart. "This will never end until my ticker stops ticking, Al. I have to live with this cruel fate. It's nothing you or I can ever fix."

The tears kept spilled down his face, and this was a different side of Al Casi had never seen before. He was always the one watching her cry; he was always the strongest out of the two of them. It was hard for Casi to watch him cry, but there was nothing she could say to stop the tears. Finally he finished crying, he looked up at her. "What do you think, Casi? Are you ready to die? Was that your fate from the beginning?"

She looked away and closed her eyes. "I guess so. Unless someone can show me otherwise that it's not my fate, I'll change my viewpoint."

After a moment, Al got up from the chair and let go of Casi's hand. "Okay then. I'm sorry, but I have to go because visiting hours are almost over. I also promised the doctor that I'd get him if you woke up when I was around. Goodbye, Casi."

She closed her eyes and shifted to the other side of the bed. "Bye, Al. While you're gone, be sure to get a good nap. You look like you need one badly."

He didn't respond as he walked out of the room. Casi took no notice of it and waited for the doctor to come in so she could go back to sleep. Soon enough he came in, a mixed expression on his face.

"Hello doctor." Casi said with no enthusiasm.

"Good morning, Casiphee. Enjoyed your two day beauty sleep?"

She snorted. "Enough with the sarcasm. What do you need?"

"Oh I was just wondering why in the world you were in the hospital a few days after I just saw you."

She sighed. "It's my stupid mistake. I forgot to take my medicine for a few days and was out in the cold for too long."

The old man gave a heavy sigh. "Stupid mistakes like that can ensure death for sure. Don't do it again, alright? You worried me and that young man to pieces. He was by your side since the moment they let him be with you and he just sits there, watching you with such an intensity, as if he himself could alter your time to die."

Casi moved uncomfortably at that remark. "That's great to know. Well, if that's it, I'm going back to sleep."

It was silent for a moment, then the doctor spoke again. "You need to stop taking these things so lightly, Casiphee. This is your life that's on the line, and there will be no second chances after you die. You were lucky that you survived and got a second chance to live. There's a reason, and you have to find it out. With that being said, you can go back to your rest. Good day."

He turned without hesitation and walked out of the room, closing the door as he went. Casi stood there for a moment trying to take in that the old man said. Finally, when she didn't get what he was saying, she turned to the other side of the bed with a confused huff and fell to sleep.

AN: I'm back! Yipeee! I know this a short chappie compared to some other chappies I've written! UI need ten reviews to write the next chapter (which will be much, much longer. Lot's of stuff to come!) Thanks to my two loyal reviewers!


	7. Note

Hey there guys! I know you've been expecting the next chapter for a loooong time, and I'm really sorry! My laptop just crashed recently and I've been having to try to find a place that will fix it for cheap.. I already wrote most of the chapter on my laptop and can't remember what i wrote! Please bear with me until i get it fixed. I'll make it an extra long chapter just for you guys! Thanks so much and please pm me if you have any ideas for another story idea you'd like me to write about!

-EF


	8. An Unexpected Visit

**Chapter 7: An Unexpected Visit**

The following days passed Casi by slowly in her dreary, empty hospital room. She slept a lot, because she had nothing else to do, as well as the fact that she really wanted to avoid Al. She was afraid that he wouldn't be the same after all that she had told him, and she didn't know how to deal with it. She wanted things to be the same, the way things had been before she had been sent to the hospital.

One morning, as she woke up to the light morning sunlight, she saw two familiar figures sitting at the back table of her room; Edward and Winry Elric. They were chatting quietly, their hands intertwined on the table for everyone to see. Winry had a small smile on her face, as was listening as Ed sat speaking about something. They made a wonderful pair, and it was no wonder that the two of them had gotten married.

"Ed... Winry.." Casi said, catching their attention.

"Casi!" Winry exclaimed as she got up from her seat to sit closer to the injured woman. "Good morning."

"Morning." She replied, after heaving a small cough. "What brings you here? I wasn't expecting you two as visitors."

"Al called us up, as soon as this happened." Ed said, from the farther side of the room. "We tried to get here as soon as we could, but as you can see we weren't here on the dot."

"No worries." Casi said, giving a small smile. "Thanks for coming at all. It's nice to know that at least three people care about my well being."

"For a sick person, you're really sarcastic." Ed snorted. "Maybe Al was right to say that being in a hospital makes you seem like a different person."

"Ed!" Winry said, shooting her husband a look. "That wasn't nice at all."

"Sorry." He said, shrugging. "It just kind of slipped out of my mouth."

"Anyway," Winry said, putting her hand on Casi's shoulder. "How are you feeling now?"

"Much better than I did at the beginning." Casi said truthfully. "I know I won't be on my feet for a long while, and that's going to be a bummer for me. I'm going to miss my walks to the park with Al."

"Ah." Winry said, nodding. "Well, I'm sure that after you're up and running again, he'll be glad to take you on as many walks as your heart desires."

"I don't think that will be the case." Casi said sadly.

"Why not?" Ed asked, staring at her. "Did something happen?"

"Well," Casi said, looking down to avoid their glances. "I told Al how I got into this whole predicament, and he asked me if I was ready to die, and I told him that I was. I think that angered him, and now I'm afraid that he and I aren't on the best of terms."

It was all to silent for a second, as the two Elrics looked at each other with a mutual understanding in their eyes. They, being family to Al, probably knew better than Casi why this whole ordeal had upset him more than she could imagine.

"Casi," Ed said, after that silence, "Al told you about our mother, right?"

"Yes." She said, nodding her head slowly. "It was so sad to hear of how she died. By the way Al spoke of her, the two of you were quite connected to your mother."

"We were." Ed said, his eyes distant for a second. "The whole reason that Al is upset about what you said is pretty simple, or what I can grasp from it. Our mother died from an unknown disease, and when we found out about it, it was too late to save her. I think he feels that fate is repeating itself with you, and that now that you're here in the hospital, it'll be too late for him to save you. He asked you if you were ready to die, because he was afraid that you were ready to leave him alone without a chance to save you, just like our mother. When you said yes, I think that wasn't the answer that he was expecting, and it made him upset."

"Oh." Casi said, quietly. "I never thought about it that way. I feel so horrible right now."

"Don't think like that." Winry said, shaking her head. "I'm sure Al is quite over it by now, though what you said may hang with him for a while. He's not one of those people who takes death lightly, if you know what I mean."

"Do you think he'll ever forgive me?" Casi said, looking at Winry.

"Why don't you just ask him?" Ed said, getting up from his chair.

Casi looked past Winry, and looked towards the door. There, standing in the doorway, was Al, holding a paper bag in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other. He was looking at Ed, then at Casi. When their eyes met, he gave a small smile.

"Well," Winry said, getting up. "Ed and I should go and get some breakfast. See you two in a little bit then, alright?"

"Sure." Al said. "There's a nice little cafe a few blocks to the right of here, if you want my opinion."

"Thank you." said Winry, as she patted her brother-in-law on the shoulder as she and her husband exited the room

Al came and sat beside Casi, placing his bag down on the table beside her. The smell of something freshly baked wafted into Casi's nose, but she didn't ponder on the smell for too long. She was more worried about Al, who was switching his gaze from her to the window. Was he angry at her? Or was he just unsure of what to say?

"Al." Casi said, as the tears started to spill down her face.

He just looked at her, and then down at the floor. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm," She said, hiccuping between the small intakes of breath. "I'm just so sorry, for saying that I was ready to die. I was insensitive to your feelings, and I was just so upset that I was back in the hospital that I felt like giving up. Will you forgive me?"

He just looked at her, and gave a small smile, as he placed his hand on top of hers. "How could I not forgive you, Casi? I'm sorry that I just stormed off like that after you told me all that had happened that put you in this predicament. I should have been there for you, no matter what you said."

"Thank you for forgiving me." Casi said, smiling as the tears stopped falling down her face. "I feel so much better now."

"That's good to hear." Al said, patting her hand lightly. "Now, all that's left to make both of us feel a whole lot better is for you to be back home. Potato and Eb miss you so much, and I don't think I'll be of any help to cheer them up until you come back."

"What do you mean?" Casi said, staring at Al.

"Well, somebody has to feed your dogs while your in the hospital." Al said, laughing. "I found the spare key, and use it to get in the house to feed them every day. They always get so excited when they hear the door opening, but when I step in, they quiet down."

"Oh, my poor babies." Casi lamented. "I miss them so much too!"

There was a knock at the door, making both Al and Casi turn their attention towards it. The doctor was standing there,a small smile on his face. Al got up from the chair, and grabbed his food from the table.

"Hello, doctor." Al said, greeting the older man.

"Hello, Alphonse." The doctor replied, giving him a smile. "I was coming to check on how Casi was feeling."

"You know, you can stop talking like I'm not here, doc." Casi said, turning towards the window. "And I'm feeling fine."

"Ah, well of course you would say that." the doctor said, moving closer to her bed. "I'll be done ina few minutes, Alphonse, so you can just go outside if you don't mind."

"Not at all." Al replied, as he stepped out of the room, closing the door as he went.

"Seems like you two are getting along really well." The doctor said, laughing.

"Yes, we are." Casi said, as he moved over to the machines attached to her. "Al is a very trusted and close friend."

"Friend?" The doctor said, laughing louder. "I thought that he was your boyfriend, the way the two of you act."

"Boyfriend?" Casi said, frowning at the doctor. This wasn't the first time that she had heard something like this. "What are you talking about?"

"Well," the doctor said, checking her iv pack. "It's just the way that you and him act, and the way that he looks at you. Don't act stupid, Casiphee."

"I'm not stupid," She muttered. "I think that you over think things."

"Maybe." The doctor said, shaking his head. "Well, it seems like you're recovering. Take it easy for a few more days and I might even let you try going home and resting."

"Sounds great." She said, huffing. "More stupid time in this boring place."

The doctor just shook his head, and exited the room. She heard his voice outside, and then Al's voice. Finally, the two faded, and Al stepped back into the room, a smile plastered on his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Casi asked, a questioning look on her face.

"Just the fact that you're doing better." He replied, sitting back down beside her. "Isn't that good news for you too?"

"Of course it is, silly." Casi said, trying to put what the doc had said in the back of her mind. "It's just that old doc was teasing me, and it made me a little upset."

"What did he say?" Al asked, a joking smile on his face. "I'm dying to know."

"It was.. nothing important." Casi said, unable to tell Al what the doc had said.

"Sure." Al said, rolling his eyes. "Well, are you tired?"

"Not really." Casi said, shaking her head.

"Do you mind if I read to you then?" He asked, pulling out a small book from his coat pocket. "I was working for the little book store a few blocks down from my apartment, and I got this book. It's about a girl- well you'll see."

He began to read, his voice spilling out the opening scene to the story. The story began with a poor girl, living high in the mountains with her sister and father, who kept her locked up in the house during the day, because they feared that she would get hurt working with the other teens her age around the mountain because of how tiny and sickly she seemed. Soon, the story progressed into how a bunch of soliders from the kingdom they lived in raided the village, because they didn't pay their taxes to the king. The solider that raided the girl's home, saw her in her filth, and decided to take her along with him. The two of them waited for the other soldiers to leave before they started their journey to the king's castle, where the solider lived. The last thing that Casi heard before she fell into a calm sleep was the beautiful scenery that the girl described at the bottom of the mountain, and how much she wished that she could stay there forever.

**AN: YAAAY! I'm back! I finally got another computer and started to write again! I'm so sorry for not writing in -gasp- over a year! Please review if you still want me to continue this story! ~E.F.**


	9. Still, In My Dreams

**Chapter 8: Still, In My Dreams**

Like it had been said by the doctor, Casi was given a few more days in the hospital to recover. It was unnerving to Casi, who longed to be tucked away in her little house far from the hospital and everything that had to do with her past. Still, her impatience was eased of course by Al, who was her constant companion during the day. She felt horrible that she had kept him here in the hospital with her while he could be out in Central, looking for a job that could support him. She confronted him about this several times, but he always shrugged it away and gave his cheery smile and said that her well being came before everything else, even finding a stable job.

Finally, that last day came when her room nurse and doctor were crowded around her, inspecting practically everything they could think of, including the hospital machinery attached to her, as well as her blood pressure and breathing patterns. Soon, after many sarcastic comments from Casi and a good, long talk from the doctor, she was admitted as an in-home patient to continue her treatments. There were many cheers and thanks from Al, who was outside the room as everything was happening. Even though she was the one getting out of the hospital, he was the more ecstatic one. That afternoon, after making sure that all the equipment was properly installed in her home, the doctor let Al escort Casi out of the hospital in her wheelchair and they were off in the blink of an eye.

"I'm so glad they let you out today," Al said happily as they approached the intersection that led to the street that Casi lived on. "I think Eb and Potato would have died if you stayed one more day in the hospital."

"Me too." Casi replied, as she hugged her coat closer to her body, trying to keep out the chilly winter air. "I think I would have gone crazy if that old fart made me stay one more more minute in room!"

"Now, Casi." Al said, laughing. " Like I always tell you, the doctor means good."

"You say that about everyone." Casi said, shaking her head. "I think everyone in your book is good, huh?

"Not true." Al said, as they crossed the road. "I've had my experiences with not so nice people, too."

"Sure." Casi said, sarcastically. "Keep on talking, mister nice guy."

"Mister nice guy?" Al said, repeating what she said. "Why does everyone always say I'm so nice? I don't think I'm that nice."

"Oh, but you are Al!" Casi said, turning around to look at him. "You're an angel compared to all the other men I've encountered around this part of the city."

"Thanks." Al said, smiling bigger. "It's sweet to hear what you think about me."

Casi just blushed, and turned back around. Al just started to laugh, and Casi couldn't help but laugh with him. Whenever there was an awkward silence between them, he always knew how to clear it up. They soon made it to the walkway that led to her house, and Casi felt so relieved to be back in her comfort zone. The walked past her garden, which was dying in the freezing winter temperatures. It made Casi sad to see all of her beautiful flowers wilting, but she knew that when spring rolled around they would be back again, bright and full of life.

Al stopped at the front door, and unlocked the door, only to let Eb and Potato rumbling down the path towards Casi. She laughed and petted their heads as they crowded around her, barking their welcome backs to her. Al broke in between them, causing them to calm down just a little bit.

"Since your front is a little higher than the walkway," Al said, pointing to the front door. "It'll be hard to get you in with the wheelchair. I'll probably have to carry you in, unless you have a problem with that."

"That's not a problem." Casi said, shaking her head. "I'm just glad to be home!"

"I'd hope so." Al said, laughing.

He lifted her easily out of the wheelchair, and carried to her into the house. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and hid her face against his shoulder. Her heart was beating so fast, but she didn't know exactly why. Was it because she was so happy to be home? Or was it Al's touch?

"Ok, Casi," Al said, breaking her from her thoughts. "It looks like everything is set up in your room."

"That's great." Casi said, glad to know that she could finally rest in peace.

He put her down in the bed, resting her head against the cool, soft pillow. She looked up at him with her large brown eyes, wondering what was going on in his head. He just stared back at her, and gave her a gentle, warm smile.

"Everything alright?" He asked, more out of curiosity than concern.

"Yeah." She said, as started to close her eyes. "Just thinking."

He started to say something, but Casi didn't hear it. She just slumbered off into a peaceful sleep, her skin warm from being held by the one man who she needed more than anyone else.

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Days passed Casi by slowly, but it wasn't so slow that it irritated her. She slept most of the morning, until Al came to wake her up and give her a light breakfast before he was off to his job. The owner of the bookstore had so much pity on Al that he finally decided to give him a regular shift there. It made Casi's heart swell to know that Al, who had always been there for her, finally got what he had been looking for.

After Al would leave in the morning, a nurse from the hospital would come to make sure that all the machinery was working correctly, and that Casi's condition wasn't worsening. Casi usually paid no attention to any of the nurses, and busied herself with reading the books Al had brought for her enjoyment, or just daydreaming of springtime as she pet Eb, who was her constant bed companion. She felt like a caged bird; trapped inside her own house with no where to go and no one to see.

In the evenings, after Al got off from work, they would sit together and eat. Al made a huge pot of soup out of some vegetables and broth he bought from the store, and Casi was amazed at how delicious such a simple thing could be. She praised him on his cooking, but he always shrugged it off and said all the thanks should go to Winry, since she was the one who had taught him how to cook all that he knew.

"Casi." Al said, one night as they were eating. " I have a question for you."

"What is it, Al?" Casi said, after taking a sip of her water.

"I know I have no reason to ask you this," Al said, running a hand through his hair. "But I was just thinking, if your mother actually found out you were alive and came here to apologize to you for everything that she's ever done to you, would you forgive her?"

"Huh?" Casi said, shocked at the question he was asking her. "Well, I don't really know. It really depends on how sincere she is, and..... a lot of other things. It's really hard to say. Sorry, Al."

"No, it's alright." Al said, as he got up, taking the bowls they had eaten their dinner in. "I shouldn't have asked you such a question. I'm sorry."

As he walked away, Casi just sat, thinking more about what he had said. Why did he ask that question? Was he just curious, or did he know something that she didn't? Did her mother find out the truth while she was in the hospital? Was she coming here?

"Hey, you alright?"Al asked, putting his hand on Casi's shoulder, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Yeah." Casi said, looking up at him. "Al, if you knew something, and it concerned me, you'd tell me, right?"

"Of course, Casi." Al said, looking confused. "Why?"

"I was just wondering." Casi said, looking down.

"Anyway," Al said, grabbing his coat. "It's getting late. I have some things to do around the apartment. I know I promised to wrap up that book I've been reading you, but is it alright if we finish it up tomorrow?"

"Sure." Casi said, nodding.

"Oh!" Al said, slapping his head. "Before I forget completely, the hospital has been kind of busy lately, so they said the nurse tomorrow will be here later."

"It would be fine if they didn't send one over here at all." Casi retorted, crossing her arms. "I'm perfectly fine now."

"Always so headstrong." Al said, shaking his head. "Well, I'm going now. Good night, Casi."

"Night, Al." Casi said, smiling, as he made his way out of her room. "Be careful on your way home."

"Thanks." He called from the front door.

Soon, Al left and Casi was left all alone in her room. She just sat there, thinking about the possibility of what Al had. The last thing she ever wanted to do is meet up with her family. Even if her mother did apologize, it wouldn't be heartfelt, because never once in Casi's life did she ever feel her mother's affection.

Eb jumped into her lap, startling her. She looked down into the puppy's large eyes, and couldn't help but smile. She pet his head as he reclined against her. She closed her eyes, and let out a small sigh. With the small puppy as company, she stumbled into a weary sleep.

_Casi walked across the dimly lit road that led to her house. She pushed her coat up around her, and held the grocery bag close to her body as an afternoon breeze swept around her. She heard the murmur of the people on the other side of the street talking, and felt at ease that she was almost home._

_As she crossed into the walkway that led to her house, she looked up and saw two figures standing near her door. Concerned and alarmed, she walked off of the path, and hid behind a tree that was far enough from the door that if there was any danger, she could run. Looking closely, her eyes grew wide with the recognition of the two familiar women who were waiting; they were none other than her sister, Lilly, and her mother._

_She dropped her bag of groceries, and soon they both turned and faced where she was standing, Her sister's eyes scanned through the area, and after a moment, looked at her mother and gave a confidant smirk._

_"She's in there, mother." Lilly said, her voice menacing and dark._

_"Come out here, Casiphee. Show me your rebellious little face." Her mother called, crossing her arms._

_Casi stepped out from behind the tree, and onto the path way, so everyone could see her clearly. She crossed her arms as well, and gave both of her family members a cold and distasteful glare. This was the last thing she had hoped to do ever in her life._

_"What are you doing here?" She asked, her voice straining to stay calm._

_"Oh, we found out what really happened to you from father." Lilly said, smirking at her. "He told us how you survived that messy accident, and how he snuck you away here, into this city."_

_"We tried to force out every detail out of that worthless man." Her mother said, continuing on with what Lilly had said. "But, being a stubborn, dying excuse for a man, he refused to tell me the exact house that you lived in."_

_"Then how did you find out I lived here?" Casi asked, staring at her mother._

_Her mother smirked. "Oh, we just stopped by a couple of the stores in the area. We hit it lucky when we stopped into a little book store, where a young man kindly helped us."_

_"Al." Casi said quietly, not loud enough for her mother to hear._

_"So you do know this boy." Lilly said, tossing her hair. "We gave him a total sap story of how we wanted to apologize to you, and he sucked it all up like a sponge. He led us almost all the way here, but we never had the chance to thank him."_

_"Why not?" Casi said, as her mother and sister started to chuckle. Something was wrong here._

_"Oh, let's just say we gave him a quick one two, if you know what I mean." Lilly said, pulling __out a sheathed dagger from her coat pocket, as she laughed louder._

_"What?" Casi squeaked, the color draining out of her face. This couldn't be happening. Lilly was just joking right?_

_"Look at this, Casiphee." Lilly said, as she unsheathed the dagger. Something was covering the metal blade of the dagger, and its dark crimson color made Casi almost collapse. Lilly hadn't been kidding when she said she had done something unthinkable to AL._

_"How could you do something like this?!" Casi screamed, closing her eyes. "Where is he? What did you do to Al?!"_

_"Oh, it's simple really ,Casiphee." Her mother said, speaking up. "We' just wanted to let you know that you can't hide anymore. We know where you are, and we're the ones in control, not you. Your father can't protect you anymore, and we'll make your life a living hell again. As for that boy of yours, he's probably dead by now. We left him out on the sidewalk, a few blocks from here. You should have no problem finding him; there'll probably be a crowd."_

_Casi just turned around and ran, going in the opposite direction of where she had come from before. She pushed her body to run as fast as she could, and looked around ina hetic frenzy. There was no way that her mother and sister were serious. That wasn't Al's blood on Lilly's dagger. _

_Suddenly, as she turned the corner, coming up near the park, her heart almost stopped. Just like her mother had said, there was a small crowd gathering on the sidewalk, murmuring about some poor man. Casi pushed past the people , and got into the middle of the crowd, where she almost fell to the ground. There, laying on the ground with a few people beside him was Al. His face was pale, and two large crimson spots appeared on his white collared shirt. Casi fell to the ground beside him, the tears flowing down her face as she reached out for his hand._

_"Al!" She cried, unable to stop the grief she felt. "This can't be happening! How could they do this to you? It's all my fault, Al! Don't die!"_

_"C..Casi?" Al whispered, heaving a shallow cough. "Is that you?"_

_"Yes." She said, her tears flowing harder. "Please don't die on me, Al. Please don't die!"_

_"I'm sorry, Casi." Al whispered, his voice growing fainter. "I thought they really meant that they wanted to apologize to you. Please, run as far as you can, and get away from them. I would come with you, but I'm slipping away as we speak."_

_"Don't leave me!" Casi said, burying her head against his shoulder. She was crying her heart out, and she felt the people around her looking on in sadness. "I don't want to be without you, Al! We have to stay together. Please! Promise me."_

_"I'm sorry.. Casi." Was the last thing that he said before he gave a shallow exhale and died._

_Someone touched her shoulder, and said that they had called an ambulance a while before, but it never came. Sorry was the word that rang in her ear as the world faded away and she was left with the now dead Al._

Casi woke up with a start, her heart beating fast in her ears. She put her hands to her face, to feel the cold tears that still lingered on her face. She looked around her, to realize that she was still in her room, to her great relief.

"Thank goodness." Casi said, sighing deeply. "It was just a dream."

She looked to her right, where her night stand was, as well as her clock. Looking at it, she realized that it was eleven fifteen, two hours past when she was supposed to be woken up. She looked at the table again, and noticed that her tray of breakfast that Al usually left before he left for work wasn't there either.

"Al?" Casi called, her voice ringing through her quiet house.

She waited for a moment, and only heard a small bark coming from the living room, which meant that Eb had been sleeping just moments before. Casi, with her dream lodged in her mind, determined quickly that something was wrong.

She moved to the edge of her bed, where her bedroom slippers sat. She slipped them on, and made her way slowly to the kitchen. In the hallway near the door, Eb and Potato sat, their heads turned towards the door. As soon as they heard Casi yawn, they turned their heads and made their way over to her.

"Hey guys." Casi said, pulling her night dress closer to her body. "Let me go get you guys some food."

She made her way into the kitchen, and poured the dog food into the dogs' bowls, only to get happy barks of thanks in return. She watched them eat for a moment, then decided to sit at the table and think. She looked out her kitchen window, to see the empty path that led to her house. Where could Al be?

"That man has too much to do at my house." Casi said, putting her head into one of her hands. "He's probably sick of helping me out all the time. He wouldn't tell me to my face, though; he's too much of a nice guy."

She sat for a while longer, until she couldn't take sitting still any longer. She got back up, and made her way to the hallway near the front door. Not wanting to go back to bed, she just slowly paced the hallway, wondering what could have happened to Al for several minutes.

"Could it be?" Casi said, her thoughts coming back to the dream. "Was this dream really a dream? Or was it warning me of something? Is Al in trouble?!"

She started to pace faster, her mind starting to panic. What could she do? How could she know he was alright?

"Maybe he's at work." She thought aloud. "But how could I know for sure? I don't have the telephone number for the book store. Maybe he slept in? I don't have the number for his apartment either! Where is Al?!"

She stood silent for a moment, her mind racing through the all of those possibilities. Soon, none of these options seemed to please her.

"Something bad did happen to him." Casi said after a moment, her mind coming to no other reasonable conclusion. "That dream was a warning. Oh please no! I couldn't bear it if something bad happened to him."

She sank to the ground, and put her head into her hands. The only image she could see in her mind was the one of Al from her dream where he lay bleeding and dying. She just shook her head, trying to think of something else, but nothing else was coming to surface of her mind. She started to cry, partially out of frustration of not knowing where Al was, and from this haunting dream.

She sat there for a long time, just crying and not being able to stop. It wasn't fair, not being able to know if Al was alright or not. How much longer should she wait until she decided to do something? Or was she just going to sit here, crying because she wasn't able to do anything?

Suddenly, the door opened, and Casi looked up. Through her tear stained vision, she made out the familiar shape of a man with light blonde hair. To her heart's great relief, Al was here, and nothing seemed to be wrong with him.

"Al." Casi said, beginning to cry even harder.

"Casi!" Al said, as he rushed over to her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Are you alright? Does something hurt?"

She just moved closer to him, and sank her head into his shirt as she continued to cry. He was here, and there was nothing else to worry about. Al didn't die. It was just a dream, and Al wasn't hurt, and he wasn't in any danger. Everything was fine.

"Thank goodness." Casi whispered into Al's shirt.

He gently wrapped his arms around her shoulders, and placed his head against hers. She just cried harder, but this time these tears were tears of joy. If she could stay like this forever, life would be wonderful. Her tears finally stopped after a few moments, and the two of them just sat like that. Finally, to her great disappointment, Al removed his arms from around her and sat, wiping her face with his hands.

"You were worrying about me, weren't you?" Al said, as he dried his hands on his shirt.

"Yeah." Casi said, quietly,

"I'm so sorry." Al said, apologizing. "I should have told you last night that I had to clean up my apartment because the land lord was coming for a visit to check on what condition it was in. I didn't remember until I walked out the door last night, and decided on not telling you."

"It's fine." Casi replied, shaking her head. "I think I just overreacted."

"That doesn't sound like you, Casi. There was something bothering you, wasn't there?" Al said unexpectedly.

Casi just looked up at him, amazed. He knew her better than she expected. He just smiled at her, and got up.

"Come on." He said, holding out his hand. "Let's go sit in the music room. It's too cold for you to be sitting here on the floor."

He helped her up, and kept hold of her hand as he led her to the music room. As Casi stared at his back, she just started thinking of how she should tell Al about her dream. What if he busted out laughing after she was finished? Would he think that she was crazy for thinking that her dream could have really happened?

Al sat down on the couch, and Casi sat down beside him. He just stared at her, and gave a reassuring smile. She just gave a small smile back, as she continued to think. Should she really tell him? Or should she just make up something?

"Do you want to tell me?" Al said, breaking her from her thoughts, as he placed his hands around hers. "If you don't, I'll understand."

Casi just stared at his face, and made up her mind. "I guess I will."

She retold her dream to him, not skipping any details. When she got to the part of where her sister pulled out the dagger with his blood on it, she started to choke up. She continued though she couldn't stop herself from crying. She finished, and looked up at him for the first time since she started to talk. She amazed to see a caring, almost worried look on his face.

"That's a horrible nightmare to have." Al said, as he squeezed her hands gently. "No wonder you were worried about me. It's all my fault isn't it? I shouldn't have brought up your mother last night while we were eating."

"It's not your fault, Al." Casi said, reassuring him. "I'm glad it was just a dream. It's so reassuring to have you sitting right here next to me, listening."

"That's what I'm here for Casi." Al said, as he wrapped his arms around her. "I'll always be here for you."

"Always?" Casi asked, as she leaned her head against his neck.

"Always." He replied, his voice confidant and strong.

**AN: Yay! Another chapter! Writing this almost made me cry, but I love it! Thanks to EclipseRibbon for reviewing on the last chapter! YOU ROCK!! :)**

**~E.F.**


	10. An Echoing Sonnet

**Chapter 9: An Echoing Sonnet Part 1**

Spring came happily into the city of Central, as well as into Casi's heart. She and Al spent almost a week preparing a plan for the types of flowers that would be planted within her garden. There were so many varieties to choose from, and it saddened her to pick only a few of them. Al added in an idea of his own, and soon enough Casi agreed to have one flower of each color in her yard. So on a nice, warm day, Al took Casi into the inner ring of shops near her house, and they spent hours trying to pick the perfect bulbs or seeds to be planted when the weather was much warmer. After thinking like a couple of pirates in search of treasure, they decided on red roses, blue bell flowers, yellow tulips, pink azaleas, orange bouvardias, and purple irises.

The venders were very much happy to search around for a flower that Casi particularly wanted in her garden, saving her and Al a lot of troublesome searching. Some even tried to offer her fresh flowers as a token of their appreciation for her shopping, but Casi politely turned them all down, saying that each flower that they were trying to give her would not make it back in one piece on the way back to her house. One of the younger vendors, a boy who looked to be in his late teenage years, tried to give Casi a red rose, giving a poetic sounding line about her feminine beauty, much to the dislike of Al, who muttered that it would take millions of roses to ever match up to her beauty. Casi just smiled and blushed at his remark, enjoying his praise of her and his slight jealousy towards the boy.

On their way back, one particular vendor they had passed by on their way in caught her eye. There, on her selling table, was a basket of orchids of every color. Though Casi hadn't said anything to Al, orchids were truly her favorite flower, especially the ones with the purple tips. She looked longingly at them, which immediately caught the vendor's eye.

"Orchids are so beautiful." The woman said, smiling at Casi.

"Yes, they really are!" Casi exclaimed, looking up at her with a sheepish smile. "You wouldn't happen to have any bulbs would you?"

"Actually, I do, miss." She replied, pulling a few bags out from underneath her table. "What color would you like?"

"Oh, purple please." Casi gushed, fumbling for her wallet.

"A lovely choice!" The woman replied, picking up a bag wrapped with a purple ribbon. "That will be ten dollars, please."

Casi opened her pouch, only to her dismay to find that she had six dollars in there. Though it seemed stupid, she felt like crying, because she always bought some orchids to liven up her house, if they were freshly cut, or growing her garden. She shook her head, and put her wallet back into her coat pocket.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have enough." Casi said, trying to smile at the vendor. "Thank you, anyway."

"I do, though." Al said from behind her. Knowing that she would have to turn his offer down, she turned around to face him.

"Oh, Al, don't." Casi said, waving her hands in front of her. "Don't waste your precious money. This is for my garden, which I have to pay for."

"Come on, Casi, think of it as a gift." He said, smiling at the vendor. "I'll take two bags of the purple ones, and give me a few fresh ones for this lovely maiden to take home with her."

The vendor smiled, and handed Al the two biggest bag of bulbs she had of the purple orchids. She also fetched three purple and two pink orchids from her basket and tied them up with a silky ribbon, before handing them to Casi.

"Thank you, m'am." Al said, handing her the money. "Have a good afternoon."

"Same to you, sir!" She replied, as the two of them made their way back to Casi's house.

As they walked, Casi kept staring at the bouquet then back up at Al. She was so happy for the gifts that he had bought for her, but she knew how much time he had to work to receive those twenty dollars. She wanted to pay him back, but since he said that the flowers were a gift she couldn't just give him money and call it even between them.

"Why do you keep staring at me, Casi?" Al asked, grinning down at her.

"Oh, I'm just so happy for those orchids!" She exclaimed. "They're my favorite flowers."

"Then I'm really glad that I bought them for you." Al said, taking her free hand in his. "I love making you smile."

She blushed lightly, laughing. "You make me smile all the time, dummy, gifts or no gifts."

He laughed, squeezing her hand lightly. "Then that makes me the happiest man on the face of the earth!"  
They got home, and put themselves to work, trying to figure out the best setting to put all of the flowers they had bought in. Casi wanted them all to be surrounding the walkway that led to her house, but Al thought it was a better idea to put the flowers in beds closer to the house, so it would make it easier for Casi to care for them. In the end, they made a compromise, putting a few of the smaller flowers that didn't need very much tending out along the trail of her house, and the most needy flowers in beds the were within a few feet of the house.

Luckily within a few days the temperature gradually increased, and the two of them began the steady, but tiring work of actually planting the garden. Al wouldn't let Casi do much of the heavy work, like lugging around the big bags of fresh soil and fertilizer, so she spent most of her time digging the holes in which the seeds and bulbs would go in, and spent the rest of the time planting them. This task took a few hours for several days, so that it would not be something done in one day, which would be completely straining.

After they were finished everyday, Al and Casi would take a seat underneath one of her large trees, sitting silently as they basked in the growing midday sunlight. It was soothing after working so hard on the garden, just laying on the soft newly grown grass as a small breeze swept gently across their skin. The birds high in the branches sang their songs beautifully, their presence also welcoming after a dead and silent winter.

One day as they were sitting down on the grass, the mail carrier walked up the path to the house. Seeing the two of them half asleep on the grass beside him, he smiled, and gave a slight cough, breaking the two of them out of their peaceful trance. Casi gathered the end of her dress from the ground around and made her way over to the mail carrier. He tipped his hat, and extended a few envelopes out to her.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Marpole." He greeted, looking around. "Getting started on your garden a bit earlier this year, I take it?"

"Yes." Casi said, glancing over her shoulder to Al. "Thanks to all the help I've received, my garden will be the best one yet this year!"

"I look forward to seeing it completed." The mail man said, giving a smile. "Have a good afternoon."

"Thank you, and same to you." Casi said, as he made his way back down the path.

Al got up from his spot on the ground and made his way to stand beside her, casting a questioning glance her way. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head, getting the drift of what he was implying. Al had become a little more jealous than she would have liked over the past few weeks, but in a way it was nice to have someone fretting over you some of the time.

She made her way back towards the front door of her house, flipping through the mail that she had just received. Most were her monthly bills, such as the rent for her house, but two particular envelopes caught her attention. One was from an office in Bellsmont, which was Casi's hometown, and the other had no return address, and all she could decipher from the way her name was written was that the writer was a female.

As she stood in the doorway to her house, she opened the mysterious envelope first. She pulled out a letter, as well as the monthly check she usually received from her father. Pushing the check aside, she lifted the letter and began to read what was scrawled within its contents:

Dear Casiphee,

I know that this may be hard to hear, but our father died of a stroke this week. Mother wanted to push forward for a funeral as soon as he passed, but I finally managed to get her to push it back a few days. Please come back to Bellsmont as soon as you get this letter, or anything that father left for you in his will may be put into jeopardy. I hope to see you soon.

Your sister,

Lilly

Casi felt all of the blood draining from her face. This couldn't be happening. Their father was only in his early fifties, and on the diet that her mother made him keep, he was as fit as a button. Her father was the only one who cared for her anymore; she needed him to be there so that there would still be a slim hope in her heart that her family did not entirely hate her. He couldn't die on her!

"This can't be happening, this isn't real!" Casi muttered, as she frantically tore open the other letter, the one that was from the office in Bellsmont:

Ms. Casiphee Marpole,

You father, Leonard Marpole, died of a massive stroke on March 17th. Fortunate to you and the rest of your family members, Mr. Marpole created a will before he passed. We are requesting that you return to Bellsmont before the 21st, which is the day we have set out to open and read his will. We are deeply sorry for your loss.

Mr. Langs, President of the Law Office in Bellsmont

Dropping the letter to the ground, Casi fell to her knees, everything in the world freezing around her. She began to shake, the tears pouring forth out of her eyes, completely clouding her vision. As all her common sense slipped away, she released all she was feeling in one shrill, heart wrenching cry that echoed through every fiber of being in her body.

Within seconds, Al was right beside her his hands resting on her shoulders. Seeing the state that she was in, he took her into his arms and walked her into her house. The dogs, hearing the ruckus from the inside of the house, followed silently alongside him, and rested at the doorway of the music room, their large eyes following the two people inside. Al situated Casi on the couch, and sat beside her, just staring at her, waiting to see if she was going to calm down or not. To his dismay, she did not, meaning that he was right to think that the matter she was facing was serious indeed.

"Casi, dear, I know this may be hard, but please tell me what's wrong." He said sincerely, gently reaching over to touch her hand.

She sat silently for a few moments, as if she was trying to wrap her mind around what was truly troubling her, or if she didn't want to admit that what was happening was actually true. Finally, she pushed the hair out of her face and stared blankly at Al.

"My father is dead, Al."

He stood frozen after the news hit him. He knew about her father being the only one in her family who supported her after the accident she had as a young adult, and how much Casi must have cared about him. He remember when his own mother died, and the pain and lostness he and his older brother felt the day that they got the news; it was the day that changed their entire lives.

Knowing that words would never help in this sort of situation, Al leaned forward and opened up his arms, and Casi flung herself into them, creating yet another session of deep, heart wrenching sobs. He placed his lips on the top of her head and shut his eyes, trying frantically to think of someway to cheer this heartbroken woman up. What was there that he could do? Tell her that he was sorry for her loss? Try to turn back time and prevent her father from dying? Both of those wouldn't solve anything.

Finally, Casi's sobs finally came to a sniffling halt, and he released her from his embrace, knowing that times like this space was needed, though in his heart he wanted to hold her and kiss away her pain and sorrow, which was of course unreasonable. She looked up at him, her hair sticking to her wet cheeks, making seem so frail and helpless.

"I'm so tired Al." She said, looking down at her hands, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's fine, I understand." He said, pushing the hair off of her face. "How about you go upstairs and take a nap? We'll talk about everything else later."

She nodded, and got up of the couch, sweeping slowly up the stairs to her bedroom, her two loyal canines following after her, tails hanging limply, as if they themselves understood the severity of the matter at hand. Al just shook his head and went into the kitchen, the scene of a rainy funeral procession playing silently in the back of his mind.

**AN: Since a few of you wanted me to continue, here you go. Please comment if you liked it. I hope to keep updating more frequently :) ~E.F.**


	11. A Mind of Her Own

**CHAPTER 10: A Mind of Her Own**

As she thought, Casi couldn't fall asleep. She just laid in bed, stroking Potato's fur absentmindedly as she stared at the wall, all these memories of her father welling up in her mind. It was hard to imagine someone you had your entire life dead and no longer with you, vanished from the face of the earth without your say. It was like somebody was trying to pull a prank off on her, and that the next day her father would be back and everything would return to normal. Alas, this was not true and Casi knew a typhoon of problems was headed her way at full speed.

The smell of coffee sound wafted its way into Casi's room, and she knew that it was well into the afternoon, which was when Al usually had his daily cup of coffee. Releasing her hand from Potato's fur she slid slowly off of her bed, placing her head in her hands. Everything felt too overwhelming. It felt like nothing was reality anymore; the place she was in now was like a newly unfolding nightmare. Somehow, she managed to force herself onto her feet and trudging, made her way down the small flight of stairs to the foyer below. She sat, glancing at the vacant rooms, thinking about how to his dying day her father had keeled away, maybe from the remorse that he had cheated money out of his own family's allowance to make a quaint living and well-being for her, when she was the one who deserved to be dead. That thought left a vile taste in her mouth.

She came to the kitchen, sitting in the vacant seat beside Al, like she always did. She looked at him, but he was staring blankly into his mug of steaming coffee, probably trying to figure out the best way to handle her in this situation. A flash of anger broke through Casi, wanting to rebel against any caring act Al might throw her way, but it simmered down as quickly as it had appeared, leaving her as lifeless and numb as before. She laid her head against the cold wood of the table, closing her eyes, wishing God would smite her down right here for all the things she had made her father do for her own selfish benefit. The blame she felt for his death was so imminent that she thought, without a doubt, that the whole world had finally turned against her and had in turn, punished the one man who had taken her onto his shoulders from the brink of her memories.

"You don't have to go, Casi." Al said quietly, breaking her from her woeful thoughts.

She lifted her head slowly, until she rested her eyes on the same level with his. They held a look of such deep concern and anxiety that Casi knew Al had been contemplating this one sentence from the moment she had broken the news to him only a few hours before. She wanted him to turn away, give her the safe lifeless expression she felt within herself, but that too seemed too much for her to ask.

"I have to go." She replied, barely a whisper, as she averted her gaze back to the table. "This has to be settled, once and for all. I'm sorry, Al. I'm so sorry."

Her shoulders started to tremble, but no more tears would escape from her tensed eye ducts. So she just sat in that cold wooden kitchen chair, shaking like a frightened animal. She had to do this, but part of her knew that she may not make it back alive or in the same state she had been only a day before. Could she do this to herself? To Al? To the world she believed she had been apart of?

Al pushed his chair back from the table slowly, its legs creaking in a moan so defiant and miserable Casi thought for a moment that sound was escaping from her own mouth. He came over ot her and rested his lips on her forehead, the smell of coffee wafting down to her nose as the hot, almost fiery sensation of his lips against her cold, clammy skin left. He stroked the left side of her face gently, like he always did when she was feeling ill, then left her vision as he disappeared to the entrance of the foyer.

"I think it's time for me to leave. If you ever need me, Casi, even for the slightest thing, don't hesitate to call me."

And with that, he left the house, and her tears finally began to spill again.

**II**

Her things were packed, and her ticket was purchased. Casi stood in the foyer of her house, holding her measly bag of luggage in the crook of one of her arms as she stared down at her dogs, slowly running through the list of things she made sure she had done before she left for Bellsmont. The two animals looked up at her with still tails, like they had been for the past half day and night as she circled the house in slow, almost zombie like movements trying to get her mind in order. She had left them enough food for a day and a half, and hoped that she would never have to be in that place of hell for longer than that.

"I'm going now guys. Eb, Potato.. You'll be okay. Mama's going to be back as soon as she can break free." She said, trying with all her might to encourage her dogs, as well as herself.

They just wagged their tails in a slow pattern, and she was thankful that they had always understood her feelings and how tough it was for her to leave, though none of them really ever had a say in this matter. She wanted to drop down and gather them in her arms, and never leave what had seemed like a safe protected world within her home. But now that the truth was out, her house's mantra of isolation crumbled within an instant. Turning away, she opened the door, only to be blocked by Al, who was standing with his hands in his pockets, looking slightly surprised when she opened the door.

"Al." She managed, adjusting her bag.

"You're leaving already?" He asked, looking between her medium weight traveling coat and bag.

"I have to. They may have already had the funeral, and god knows what'll await me after that."

He frowned deeply. "You're still going to go through with this, huh? Even though you and I both know that all hell could be waiting for you before you even step foot in that city?"

She could barely manage a nod. Like usual, he was right, but she knew that this was something she had decided for herself, and she was going to stick with it until the very end. She wanted to face all the things she thought she had tucked away all those years ago, but now they were coming at her, at the same time, like a freight train rolling down a track with no clear ending. And they were all headed for her, without the simplest feeling of remorse or sympathy for what had truly gotten her and her entire family to this point of isolation and hurt.

"Damn it." He muttered, stamping one of his feet on the ground. "At least left me come with you, Casi. It'll at least mean that you're protected and I wont be left wondering what in the world was happening to you. Don't do this to alone, please. Let me come."

She shook her head again, a single tear sliding down her face. The last thing she needed was for Al to get anymore involved than he already was at the moment. After that nightmare she had had, the possibility of her mother using Al to control or weaken Casi to the point of no return was to imminent a danger to her that with all the will power she had left she had to leave him behind, her solitary source of refuge, and face this all on her own. This was her fault, anyway, and for him to try and intercede on her behalf would just make things, in the long run, more complicated and difficult for both of them.

"Well.." He said slowly, removing one of his hands from his coat pocket. "At least take this with you. Then, I'll know that a part of me will always be right there with you, wherever you go."

Opening up his palm, Casi saw a small ring with a blue gem the color of the sky surrounded by two smaller white gems. She looked up into his eyes, and the look of compassion and overwhelming control was there that everything in her power told her to nod in response. His gaze soften slightly as he grasped the ring gently, and slid it onto her ring finger. She looked down at it for a moment, and felt the warmth of it radiating through her finger until she started to cry again softly, for no reason in particular. He took the moment to engulf her into his arms, and they stood there for a few moments, leaning into each other the ache of being separated almost tangible in the air. Finally, with all the force she could muster, Casi removed herself from his arms. The look in his eyes shook her to her core, and it made her seriously debate if she truly was making the right decision for the future of her life. After a moment of silence, she placed her hand on his cheek, and watched as he reached his own hand up to touch hers there.

"Goodbye, Al." She whispered, and then she ran down the driveway onto to the sidewalk without a single backward glance that she knew would break her heart into another million pieces.


	12. The Price of Judgment

**Chapter Eleven: The Price of Judgment**

Walking down the cobblestone streets of downtown Bellsmont, Casi felt like there was always someone watching her, waiting for her in the darkness between the shops and quaint flowerbeds scattered around. Spring had always been the favorite season around here, in the more rural part of the country, but now staring at the cheery flowers made her think about her home back in Central, and all she had left undone there.

"Damn it." She muttered, glancing down at the ring for a split second. "Get over yourself, Casi. You'll have to get a miracle to walk out of this mess alive."

The chilling visions of what her mother could do to her once she saw her flashed dangerously in her mind, and she tightened her coat around her, trying to shake off these unneeded fears. Whatever would happened would happen; this was her doing after all. Now that everything was out in the open, she didn't have time to sit around and let her mother dictate the ending to her life without her father. She would fight until the end, and keep everything she loved where they rightfully deserved.

The Bellsmont Law Office stood in front of her, and taking a deep breath of the still almost spring air, she opened the door. Standing in its small greeting room, she looked around at the neat precision of everything, from the organization of the waiting room to the old woman sitting behind the clerk's desk. The old woman looked up at her and smiled very lightly.

"Can I help you?" She asked, her voice barely different than a monotone.

"Yes. I, um, I'm looking for Mr. Lang." Casi said quietly, all her courage drained out beneath the woman's piercing gaze.

"Name?"

"Casiphee Marpole."

The clerk sat for a moment, then nodded her head. Slowly, she stood up from her seat, slid it underneath the desk and motioned for Casi to follow her. Following the older woman down a small hallway, Casi was stopped in front of an office at the right end of the hall, where a brass name plate read: George Lang.

"Mr. Lang? You have a young lady named Casiphee Marpole wishing to speak with you." The clerk said, poking her head through the open doorway.

"Ah! Please let her in, Valerie. Thank you." A booming voice replied.

The old lady took one more sharp look at Casi, then scurried back to her neat little world at the entrance of the building. Casi just rolled her eyes, and straightened out her jacket, willing all the courage she had felt moments before she stepped into this building back in full strength.

She walked into the large office, to see a man sitting at a slightly disorganized desk. The man had gray hair, but his dark eyes seemed full of life that if she hadn't noticed his hair, she would have never thought he was around this time of his life. He stood up when she got in, and extended his hand, which just like his hair sadly gave away his true age.

"Ah, Miss Marpole I presume?" He asked kindly, gesturing for her to sit down.

"Yes sir. I arrived here as soon as I got news of my father's.. passing." Casi said, choking over the last word. A sting of tears were tearing at her eyes, but she blinked them back quickly.

Mr. Lang shook his head. "I'm sorry about your loss, my dear. You're not from around here anymore, are you?"

"No sir - I left a few years back."

"Well, let me fill you in on all that's happen. As you already know, your father passed away on the seventeenth. When he was administered medical help, he was already passed away, and it seemed, based on the symptoms given by those who were with him that it was a stroke. Thankfully, he came into my office a year earlier and created his will and testament. This has not been opened yet, because we were waiting on your arrival, seeing as you are part of his immediate family. As I wrote in my letter, tomorrow all who have been mentioned in his will are meeting here with me to have it read and learn what they have received from his legacy. You are planning to join us, yes?"

"Of course." Casi said calmly, as the thought of her mother, her sister, and her being in the same room for the first time scared the livings out of her.

"Good. We meet at ten tomorrow morning, in the conference room one door before mine. You don't need to bring anything, other than yourself. The will will be read, and then you are off to do as you see fit with what has been said here."

"Yes sir." Casi managed, clutching her hand tightly together. "And what- what had become of my father?"

Mr. Lang leaned back in his chair, and ran a hand through his tiny sweep of gray. "Ah. Well, as you may or may not know, here in Bellsmont the body can only be held for two days until burial, so your father was actually buried earlier today. I believe he's out in Eastern Eden, if you would like to go and pay your respects."

"Oh." Casi said, getting up slowly. "Well, thank you, for all your help."

The old man nodded, his face full of open empathy. "Of course, my dear. I'm very sorry for your loss."

Casi looked at the old man, her grief and brokenness almost tangible in the air. She nodded deftly, and ran out of the room, her tears barely allowing her to run out of that place full to the brim of death and unhappiness.

**II**

A small breeze swept through the cemetery, whipping at Casi's loose auburn waves as she sat motionless in front of her father's grave. The air smelt like fresh dirt and water, but it left a sickening taste in Casi's mouth as she sat moving her lips in a silent plea or prayer. She read over his name on the tombstone it seemed like a hundred times, praying that everytime she looked away, it would be someone else's, so she could flee back to Central and forget this nightmare ever unfolded.

There were flowers there, scattered at the edge of the tombstone: red roses, white roses, and even a small field flower of a dark orange hue. Beside them Casi had laid her red rose and a blue orchid, wanting her father to have something a piece of her to have always there resting with him for the time being. She promised herself she wouldn't think of Al, or home, but as she stared at that orchid, she began to weep like a child, unable to hold back anymore of her fears from her one and only comfort, even if he was lying in the ground beneath her.

"Oh daddy, daddy please! Please, help me!" She wailed, throwing her head into her hands. "I have a perfect home now, with a new garden and a new life with new people who care. I made it all right! I did! Help me keep it right. I can't loose it now, I can't. Oh dad, please, PLEASE answer me. Al stayed, he stayed! No one ever has and I wanted you.. I wanted you to meet him, to keep me safe with him and you'd be there by my side for as long as I needed. You promised you'd be there for me until I.. until I..."

She hiccuped remembering her father's last words, becoming quiet for a few moments as his voice echoed through her mind: _I'll always be here for you, Casi dear. Until a major turn comes in your life. Maybe this sickness will get you, maybe not. But I wont' leave you. You're my little bell flower. Always and forever._

"I'm sorry dad. I caused this to happen to you." She hiccuped again, wiping her eyes. "I'll try to make you proud. Please watch over me, okay? I love you. Always and forever."

"Casiphee?" A voice waivered behind her.

Casi turned her head, to see a familiar looking woman. She had her hair tied back with a bow, and she stood with her hands protecting the bump that overtook her belly. The look on her face was that of surprise, but her eyes were misty with the promise of tears.

"Lilly? Is that really you?" Casi said, getting up slowly from her kneeling position.

"I know." She laughed half-heartedly, looking down at her stomach. "It been, what, two years since I last saw you, when-"

"When I was supposed to be dead?" Casi said, raising an eyebrow.

Lilly nodded. "Yes. How have you been? Are you..better?"

"No, not entirely." Casi said, rubbing her arm. "It wont be, until I die. But.. why aren't you yelling at me? Aren't you angry with me? I thought, when I came back you'd-"

"I'd want to kill you?" Lilly said softly. "Two years can do a lot to a person. I wasn't ever angry with you, Casiphee; I was so surprised to find your address when cleaning out dad's office, and knew this might be a hoax, but you're really here. I always thought, mother knew best, so if you did what she said, you'd be alright. Then, when you were 'dead', I realized that if I ever had the chance to redo that one night over again, I would, take your side, and never let you come to that fate. Mother is not you. You are you, Casiphee. I was.. so cruel to you.. I deserve to keep being punished.."

Lilly began to cry, moving one hand to wipe away the heavy tears the dripped down across her slender cheeks. Casi moved forward, and pulled out a hanky, which Lilly took with the tiniest of smiles.

"What do you mean 'keep being punished', Lilly? Are you.. are you ok?" Casi said, watching as her sister's tears broke out into a new found frenzy.

"I'm in hell, Casi, I am." Lilly said with a shudder. "I..I.."

"Tell me." Casi whispered, resting her hand on her sister's shoulder.

"Oh god! Evan, that military dog, they made me marry him, and then.. he.. he treated me like some animal, and got into a drunken stupor and drowned himself in the river. Mother, she had to take me back in, and I was pregnant, so.."

"She didn't." Casi hissed, realizing where this story was going.

"She made me stay in the house all day, cleaning or cooking for her like some slave. She didn't even call me her daughter anymore. Dad would let me out at night, to have some time to myself but during the day she.. she always.. hit me when I did something wrong or got sick.. telling me that I'm a useless wretch and I called this doom upon myself. Now my child is going to be cursed. If only I was a better wife, Evan wouldn't have done that to himself.. so everything is.. is my fault." Lilly whimpered, her shoulder shaking beneath Casi's hand.

Casi's heart was flooded with such hatred and animosity for her own mother, that she swore right at that moment, she would not let this get any further out of hand. She engulfed her sister into a hug, feeling her shake beneath her as she tightly hugged her back. Casi's heart was so full of emotion, she could scarcely think of what she would say or do when tomorrow came around.

"I won't let her do this to you anymore. Tomorrow, this will be settled once and for all, Lilly. For the both of us." Casi said softly as they let go, wiping a strand of her sister's hair off her face.

Lilly just looked up at her, with eyes she had only seen once before on a scared animal. "I hope so, Casi. I have for a long time."

**III**

Voices filtered out through the open door of the conference room. Casi stood outside, her hands shaking violently as she willed her heart to stop beating at the speed of light. She thought of her home, her dogs, her sister, but mostly Al. She promised him she's finally put things right for good, and by the power of everything on the other side of the gate she would.

Taking one extremely deep breath, Casi blew all the anxiety and thoughts out of her mind and stepped slowly into the room. Mr. Lang was sitting at the head of the round table directly in front of her, quietly talking to the clerk from yesterday. Lilly was sitting in the chair nearest to her, looking down at the dark gray dress she had on. From where she stood, Casi could see her sister was trying hard not to cry, and almost gave Casi the vindictive to break her forced serenity.

"Ah, Miss Marpole! We were expecting you. Please sit down." Mr. Lang called in his strong voice, making her jump.

A hand slammed down on the table, and a woman jumped up, glaring at Casi from where she stood at the table. Without a second glance, Casi knew this was what had become of her mother, Gloria Marpole. The woman had long wispy gray hair, pulled back into a tight bun beneath a black veil. She had a loose fitting black dress on, and her piercing, almost hawk-like eyes seemed almost as demurely dark as her dress. She had more wrinkles than Casi remembered, but her sour, almost puckered expression was no different than what it was in her dreams.

"Casiphee." She hissed, filling the room with her venomous voice.

"Hello, mother." Casi said pointedly in return, her voice void of all emotions. Just seeing her brought an almost uncontrollable surge of anger to her body, and she had to clench her fists in an effort to not do anything rash, despite everything her heart and muscles were screaming. This pathetic excuse for a woman would have her taste of judgment, but not at this moment if it was the least Casi could do.

"Well," Mr. Lang said cautiously, obviously feeling the tension in the air. "Please have a seat, both of you. I would like to begin now."

Casi sat beside Lilly, at a diagonal from her mother and some man she did not recognize. Only the four of them were gathered in this room, in addition to Mr. Lang and the clerk from the day before, and Casi was almost slightly glad that no one else would have to witness whatever was going to unfold here in the moments to come.

"Alright. " Mr. Lang muttered, almost wearily, as he held up a paper and began to read. "'I, Leonard Marpole, hear by decree that this is my personal will and testament, written and recorded by John Lang of the Bellsmont Law Office. To all my family and friends, I am hopeful that you will make the most of this life given to you. I, in my own example, hope I have done good by you all and have helped you to appreciate the lives and fate you all hold in your hands. To have been among you has been my greatest joy, and to leave you is sorrow on both of our parts. But have hope, because I will always be waiting on the other side for you."

"'Now, I bequeath to you my testament. To the co-manager of my textile company, George Handell, I leave you my job as supervisor and manager. You have done well at your job, and I feel content leaving the fate of this company into your hands. Do as well as you have been, and I have no doubts that you will help do so many good things for this company.'"

The man beside her mother nodded, and the lawyer continued. "To my family. You all have been my joy, my passion, and my will to live. We have had a rough understanding in the near past, and I am so sorry that I was not there for you when I should have been sometimes. Please forgive me for any injustices I have caused you, and I hope in these following words I can right some of the wrongs I have inflicted to you by not acting in the manner I should have."

"'First, to my beautiful and demure daughter Lilly. You have been a joy as my eldest child, always giving me a smile and the joy of common life when I felt like the world was a constant repeat of never ending work and troubles. To see you married and on the way to have a family of your own filled me to the brim like very little before. To you, I leave a protected safe of three thousand dollars, to use only by your will, on your family, husband, or yourself. Take care of it wisely, and I know it will help you when needed."

Lilly began to shake, but she made no sound to give an indication to if she was trembling out of joy or weeping in sadness to the fresh cut of her husband's death. Casi was about to reach her arm out to comfort her, when Mr. Lang rested her eyes on her, causing her to sit frozen.

"To my light and flower, my second daughter Casiphee. To you, I have caused the highest injustice. I caused this fate on you, my dear, by my lack of passion to fight for your sake. You have showed and taught me so many things in your innocence of love and hopes for life, and to see those cut off when they needed not be has been a nightmare I have forced myself to right even after I have passed. To you, I want you to continue my legacy more than any others. In you, I have seen such a fire and intensity in life that needs to be protected and spread throughout the world. I have set aside for you an account of five thousand dollars, and the rest of the money required to completely pay off your housing. However, I fear that this may or may not make your other family members angry, so I have put into effect a complete protection of you, here by decreeing that neither your mother nor your sister may visit you without your consent until 8 months after your house has been paid off. You, and you alone, my beautiful flower must make the decision to keep or forget your past with your family. I request that at that time, you come and meet up with Mr. Lang and make your decision in writing. Keep strong, and I love you. Always and forever."

The news of what just happened hit Casi like a heavy brick, as the tears slid slowly down her face. The house was hers, and she had money for a while with no worries; no one knew of it and she could be protected from this life she thought would be trampled under the working of her mother. But, worst of all, Lilly was not allowed to be with her until god knows how long. They were all trapped.

"And lastly, to my wife of thirty years, Gloria. You have been my first love, and growing old with you has shown me many things. You were so bright and full of life whe we first began our path of life together, just like our Casiphee, but something got stuck into your heart. And that thing was pride. You used your pride to rule over all of us, and now, though I could never speak out against you in real life, which now I firmly regret, but now I will. To you, I leave absolutely nothing. I hope that through this you will learn how destructive your pride has really been, and to learn the joys and fulfillment in compassion. You, in your twisted ways, have broken our family, and I will not tolerate it after my passing. I hope someone, somewhere will have compassion on you, and make you realize how cruel you have been to all of us. This is all, and I hope you find that joy you have smothered within you for so many years."

The silence that passed after the last passage was read was so full of emotion Casi was almost afraid to breathe. Her mother finally got her taste of judgment. And strangely, it made her almost want to smile; her father, who was always quiet and passive towards her during his life, finally stood up to her and did what she knew was right all along. However, now her mother was shaking like a leaf, her face even paler than it had been at any time Casi could remember. Who knew what she could be thinking at this point.

"Well," Mr. Lang said very cautiously, glancing several times across the room. "That is all the deceased Mr. Marpole has left. As the witness and senior law officer of this city, I grant validity to his document, and put everything he has written into action. Miss Marpole, you and I will speak again in the future, and prior to it I will send you word. Misses, er Miss Gahle, whenever you have need of the account we will speak one on one. Mr. Handell, you have some paperwork to fill out today, so please stay after I have dismissed everyone. And Misses Marpole, I um, I am sorry for your loss."

All eyes glanced to the mother, who sat completely still now, her head tilted downward so no one could read her expression. Casi felt a sharp piercing feeling in the back of her neck, and she wanted to jump out of her seat and shoot out the door and out of her range of view. Things were getting to silent and dangerous too soon.

"Ah, I believe you all may be dismissed now. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Thank you for your time." Mr. Lang said, relieving Casi that it was finally all over.

She stood up, staring at everyone and moved closer to Lilly to touch her shoulder and try to get her out of the room with her to talk to her for a while. Before she could even reach out and touch her sister, her mother jolted up out of her seat and slammed her hands on the table.

"You." She yelled, looking at Casi with wildly large eyes. "You are supposed to be dead. DEAD! Go back to hell, you demon. How dare you.. How dare you ruin my life? My home? You will never live to be a happy married woman like I was You.. are nothing to me and must be... gone!"

She darted forward, knocking Casi to the ground with all the brute force she could muster. Casi's head hit the ground, and her mother started to pummel her, screaming in an unknown tongue as Casi raised her hands to block as much of her blows as she could. Lilly began to scream and weep as well, and her ears echoes with the screams of the two other women of her remaining family. Suddenly, her mother grabbed her left arm, pulling her hand down to reveal Al's ring and the volume of her screams increased to an ear shattering cry of a siren. Casi cringed, her body bruised and in a complete state of shock, as Mr. Handell, Mr. Lang, and the clerk hoisted her mother off of her and restrained her with some force.

"Miss Marpole!" Mr. Lang yelled above her mother and Lilly's combined screams. "Leave, now! Please!"

Casi struggled to get up, and despite all the spinning of her mind, she ran out of the small frenzied conference room, her sister's screams of "No! God Please! Casi, Casi! CASI!" echoing in her mind as she sprinted absentmindedly into the unsuspecting tranquility of Bellsmont.

**AN: Tough, tough chapter to piece together. No Al in this chapter, but he will be in the next. Thank you to all who have began to read this story again! I'd love to here any reviews on your thoughts of the story's progress. Only two chapter left :)**


	13. Are you a liar, my love? Part 1

** Chapter 12: Are you a liar, my love? Part 1**

Casi couldn't eat or sleep when she returned to her room at the inn located on the outskirts of Bellsmont. All she could do was weep uncontrollably as her mind replayed over and over the horror of what had happened earlier that day. She could still feel her mother's hands pummeling into her skin, and Lilly's screams ringing endlessly in her ears as she ran out of the room, helpless to free her sister from her doom. It was all too much for her to have even imagined when she guessed at how the day would play out, so much so that it felt almost like a dream. However, the pain in her head and her heart told her that this was the fate laid out by the over calculation of her deceased father.

Early the next morning she fled from the city, hopping on the cold, shaky train back to Central. Looming clouds turned from puffy white over Bellsmont to a dark hue of gray as the hours progressed on her ride, and Casi knew that if it started to rain, she would burst out into tears again with it, her sadness weighing so heavy upon her she thought the clouds were now the gateway into her own soul. After a few mind-numbing hours of sitting absentmindedly on the train, afraid to think or even sleep, she finally got off into the drizzling haze that surrounded her unsuspecting home.

Everything felt strange to her, now that she was back. It felt warped, almost like they had redid the city while she had been gone only a short while. The cobblestone streets seemed to wail as she stepped across them and the people all looked so downcast, their dark coats and umbrellas merging into one ever moving mob of colorlessness. Was this the city she longed to call home? Had she always been looking at it through rose colored glasses?

She stopped with the sudden realization that she was now at the front door of her house. Her hand, trembling, took the doorknob as she placed her key in and turned. With a slow creak, she opened the door and stepped into the cool quiet of the foyer. Her happy cry to call out to her dogs got lodged in her throat as she opened her mouth, and she grimly shut her mouth as she hung her coat up on its peg. Stepping quietly through the kitchen and into the music room in a state of thought, she jumped in surprise to see a blob on the couch.

Al was sleeping there, his mouth slightly parted as his arm bent across his face, as if shielding him from something he did not want to see. He seemed so calm and peaceful, that Casi felt her heart burst alive with emotion at the sight of his still features, almost crying for joy that he was here, waiting for her. She sat down on the floor beside the couch, and touched his face gently, wondering how in the world she managed to go two days without him being beside her. Suddenly, he stirred and moving his hand to rub his eyes looked up slowly to meet her gaze. With a jolt, he sat up and moved to the ground beside her, engulfing her in a tight embrace before she could even mutter a word.

"Casi." He said softly into the soft of her neck, as she began to tremble, her thoughts jumbling into one big knot as she leaned against him. Being there, with him holding her like there was no tomorrow, made her want to cry out for him to never leave her, to smooth away her sadness and horror with every gentle stroke of his hand and envelop her in his warmth and protection.

"A-Al, I-" She whispered, her tears spilling in hot, tense rivers down her ashen cheeks as she clutched at front of his shirt.

"Shh." He whispered back, rocking her slowly, his hands rubbing small circles onto her shoulders, her will to fight or think completely and utterly gone from her body.

So the two of them sat there, not speaking, as she finished her tears and he embraced her like a lost lover from many years ago. With much dismay, Casi felt Al release his grip on her, and he sat with a small smile pushing the hair and such off of her face, his fingers brushing against her skin like the tips of a feather. Finally, he stopped and sat there in front of her, the expression of his face almost causing her to weep again at the tenderness of it.

"You were worried, weren't you?" She asked slowly, looking down at the floor, unable to meet his gaze.

"Worried doesn't even begin to describe it, Casi." He said after a large sigh. "I was about to get on a train and fight my well through hell and back to get you here where you belong"

She laughed lightly at his passionate statement, then began to shake her head. "I'm in the deepest ring of hell, Al.. Oh-"

"Hey, hey." He said, lifting her face so that she was looking at him again. "None of that right now. You've been put through enough hell for the time being. We'll talk later about what happened. Now, all that matters is that I need to take care of you, ok?"

"Ok." She replied, her heart beating wildly in her chest at his much needed comfort.

"Good." He smiled again softly, melting her sorrows into a puddle to be dealt with later. "Have you eaten?"

"No, but I don't want to."

"Alright, that can wait until later too." He stood up, and then helped her up as well. "Why don't you go upstairs and rest? Eb and Potato have been hogging the room, keeping your bed warm and toasty for you. I'm sure they're dying to see you."

She looked up at the stairs behind him, then back at Al. If she was alone again, Casi knew without a doubt that all of those flashes would run through her brain uncontrollably and she would be left to their mercies once again. Just thinking about it made her tremble in fear. Latching on to Al's neck, she buried her face into the crook of his face, never wanting to let go. Being with Al connected like this filled her heart with nothing but content, and if it was wrong, by all the gods on the other side of the gate, she didn't care. He laughed softly at her sudden embrace, and she pulled away, his eyes searching her face as he began to smile lightly again.

"Come on." He said, taking her hand in his.

He led her up the stairs to her master bedroom and they stood looking at the two dogs sleeping side by side near the foot of the bed. Eb opened his eyes as soon as they stepped through the doorway, jolting out of the bed like a little rocket, yapping and dancing happily around Casi's feet. Potato, hearing the puppy's barks of joy, got up and hobbled down to her as well, barking deeply as he sat wagging his tail furiously in front of her. She let go of Al's hand and bent down, scooping the dogs into her arms, feeling their hot and slobbery kisses all over her face. She laughed at their happiness, and realized how strange the sound rang in her ears. Did she even deserve to laugh?

Sighing, she let go of the dogs and stood back up, rubbing her temples as the strange thought left her mind. This feeling of uneasiness had been sticking with her since earlier that day, and it unnerved her to have to push past it. She always laughed when the dogs welcomed her home after a few days of her absence. It wasn't strange for her to laugh with them so overly excited. What the hell was going on with her?

"Casi?" Al said, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." She muttered, looking back at him.

He looked at her skeptically for a moment, then shrugged. Casi went and sat down on the edge of the bed and held her hand out to Al. Slowly, he came and sat beside her, wrapping her hand in one of his. She felt the warmth radiating from it, and closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on it. Suddenly, she felt his other hand come up and caress her cheek, sending a tingling feeling all the way down to her toes. She leaned her cheek into his palm, and sat breathing this deep uncontrolled feeling of peace and love as if it was hanging on every particle of air between them.

"Go and rest. I'll be right here." Al murmured, sliding his hand slowly across her cheekbone.

"I'll try." Casi said, breaking away from his touch slowly.

She laid down on the bed, her head sinking slowly into the soft fabric of the pillow. As she closed her eyes, she felt Al's hand stroking her hair gently, and drifted off into a pleasant state of unconsciousness.

**AN: Well, here's some happiness, finally. This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected, so I'm splitting it into two parts. Thank you to all who have come back to read this story. It really does mean a lot to me.**


	14. Are you a liar, my love? Part 2

**Chapter 13: Are you a liar, my love? Part 2**

"And then, they pulled her off of me and I ran." Casi said, squeezing Al's hand tighter in hers after her recall of the day before came to an end.

Al was silent for a moment, before looking her directly in the eye from his spot beside her on the couch. "My god."

Casi nodded, and gave a small frown. "It was hell, Al, it really was. I-I still don't know what to do.."

"There was really nothing else you really could do, Casi." Al said gently, rubbing his thumb against the side of her still tense hand. "The law is the law. You had to leave, as hard as it was. Your father meant the best for you and Lily, and those months will fly by faster than you know."

She shook her head slowly, her mind swimming in another flood of emotions. Al was trying to help, she understood that, but every time he hinted at Lily, poor pregnant Lily, being trapped with that she-devil of a so called mother they had, it made her angry and bitter that she was powerless to stop her mother from doing anything to her. Who knows what her mother would do, now that she was on the brink of despair? She had already beaten Lily, so in the pit of Casi's stomach she knew that beating her could possibly be the least of her worries.

"I..I hate this." Casi whispered, clenching her free hand into a tight ball. "I can't sit here, lik a frightened animal moping and weeping at god knows what my other is doing to my sister. I can't stand being here, in this safe place while Lily is going through god knows what. If my mother already beat her once, Al, she'll do it again, and probably much, much more seeing as she has nothing to herself but her emotions. This can't be right, it cant!"

"Whoa, whoa." Al coaxed, trying to slow her thoughts. "Don't-"

"Don't what?" Casi exclaimed suddenly, jumping up. "Don't worry about your sister who is carrying an unborn child? Don't worry about how long you'll both be trapped in this god forsaken pact? How you can't change the past or the future? I can't stand it, I can't!"

She began to cry, in strong hiccuping motions as she continued, her voice loud. "I hate this! I wish my father was still alive! I wish I could bring him back, so Lily would have somebody to watch over to her, my mother would have someone else to lash out at, and someone to keep us all safe as he worked hard! I do anything, anything, to bring him back. I'd even give up my own life if I had too, Al."

He was soon on his feet beside her, holding her arms in his, almost a little too tightly. His face was ashen as he stared directly into her eyes. "Stop, Casi. Stop right there. You shouldn't wish things like that. You-"

"Why Al, why can't I?" She barked, trying to wriggle free from his touch. "Because you would be left alone? Because it's a taboo? You wouldn't know, you could-"

"I do know!" He yelled, his voice booming in the echoing room, causing Casi to flinch. "I know what it's like to loose the only parent who actually loved you. I know what it's like to feel like you have no control over your place in this world. And I know what it's like to step into the actions of that so called taboo."

"What?" Casi said, her eyes large. What was Al hinting at? Surely he, in his infinite goodness would never do anything crazy.

"Brother and I-" Al said quietly, his eyes on the floor. "we were trapped in our grief and our childish thinking. We thought, if we tried with all of our might, we could bring our mother back from the dead. We thought we were strong enough with our skills of alchemy that unlike anyone else who had tried, we'd show them that the taboo could really work. So we tried, and-"

He stopped, gripping her arms tightly as he looked up at her with tears welling in his eyes. "Everything went wrong, Casi! Everything! We didn't bring back our mother, we created a monster! The energy was too much for us that we lost control, and I...I was supposed to be dead! But brother, he brought me back and put my soul into a metal suit of armor, giving up another of his limbs, so we could be together. It was too close Casi, to the end of us. Ed had to get metal prosthetic for his lost arm and leg, and I.. I was trapped without a body of my own. We burned our house down Casi- remember the place we stood near that deserted tree?- as a reminder that things would never be what we wanted them to be and that all we had to live for was the future. So please Casi, get these thoughts about wanting your father back out of your head before you do anything crazy! Please!"

Casi stared at him blankly, her mind spinning from everything he had just said to her. Al and his brother tried to bring their mother back. They lost control and.. Al died? This couldn't be possible. It couldn't. For god's sake, he was standing here in front of her, in the flesh! And she remembered his brother, strong mechanic Ed, and never once had she seen a mechanical arm or leg. But why, why would Al lie about those things? He cared about her, possibly even loved her, and was the most thoughtful person on the face of the earth.

Or maybe, it was all just a hoax. No man had ever been this good to Casi, ever, without wanting something in return from her. Had Al been deceiving her all of this time, just to get something he wanted from her? Was this the reason he could finally no longer in his maddening thoughts and ideas? The thought made Casi sick.

"You.." She said barely a whispered.

"Casi?" Al said, his voice obvious to the fright he felt to her upcoming reaction.

"You're crazy!" She screamed, breaking free out of his "All this time, all this time I thought you cared for me Al, but you're just a psychopath! How long have you been waiting Al, for this moment? You used me, winning me over with your sweet talk and actions, even dragging me to visit your brother and sister in law! I should have know that you were too good to be real. You're a complete psycho! Alchemy? You being trapped in a metal suit of armor? Please! Even a five year old could make up a better story than that! What have you been after all this time, hm Al? Is your name really even Al? Is anything else you told me actually true? I can't belive this! How could you- How could you? I thought.. I might actually care for you, but all you are is a lying mentally insane actor. What do you want from me Al? Huh? My sick body? My funds? My house?"

"Enough." He said, looking at the floor.

"Enough? Enough? Who are you-"

"I SAID ENOUGH!" He bellowed.

Casi stood frozen, the power of Al's voice shaking her to the core. She had never heard him yell before. This couldn't be the real Al, could it? He locked eyes with her for a split second, then took a few unsteady steps away from her. What was he getting ready to do? Assault her? Pull out a gun?

"I- I was so wrong about you, Casiphee Marpole." He whispered, dropping something small onto the floor. "Goodbye."

Without a second glance or another word, he walked out of the living room, his footsteps echoing down the silent hallway until the door opened and shut in a matter of seconds. Time seemed to be frozen as Casi came back to reality of the room around her. The house was eerily quiet as she walked slowly over to the spot where he just stood. Squatting down, she bent down to see what he had dropped only a few moments before. It was the key she had given him to her house, all those months ago, happy to have someone to share her haven with. As the tears began to slide from sockets she thought would never work again, she began to weep uncontrollably, realizing that her future with Al was gone forever.

**AN: Super deep chapter. One more chapter left. Thank you for all the hits and story subscriptions. It means the world to me. **


	15. To Find the Secret to My Emptiness

Chapter 14: To Find the Secret to My Emptiness

Days passed into weeks. It didn't matter the slightest to Casi; everything felt wrong. The house she lived in felt tainted, and worse of all, her heart was in a disarray. At first she was bitter and angry that Al, the one man she thought could look past everything and actually love her for the broken and hurt woman she was on the inside, was a lying con-artist. She felt disgust as she walked into the kitchen those first few days, wanting to break and destroy every piece of Al she had in this place. But as she began to look around her, the anger subsided into a cold hard sorrow; she couldn't get rid of him. He was in every part of her house; his favorite coffee mug hung in its usually peg near the counter, his chair at the table was untouched and lonely, and his laughter ringing in when the dogs barked echoed in her ears each time she looked at Potato and Eb.

So sinking slowly into her bed, she curled up and wallowed in herself, trying to understand why or how this all could happen to her. Al loved her, didn't he? All those times, when he had shown her such tender and warm feelings towards her, surely they couldn't be fake? Then the other voice would always bark back, then why did he lie? Why did everything have to end the way that it did? If he really cared for me the way I thought he did, why did he choose to let it all go?

It felt like her loss of Al drained her completely, her thoughts taking all the energy out of every pore of her body. All she could do was sit in bed, or pace the bedroom slowly, wringing her hands as she thought over and over again of what she was going to do with herself. At night, when she laid down with the two loyal canines at her side, she would heave a shallow cry, the tears streaming slowly down her face, praying that in the morning she would find an answer, something logical and true to hold on to, when all she had right now was the cries of abandonment of her heart.

_ The world was completely white all around her. Casi squinted, adjusting her eyes to the brightness flooding in from every angle, trying to figure out where she was. This place left the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end, but deep inside she felt peaceful, like she had been to this place once before. She tried to think back, to see how this place tied in to her, but all she got was emptiness._

_ The world zoomed in around her, and now she was standing in front of a large gate looming hundred of feet above her meek body. She wanted to reach out and open it, drawn by its size and its beauty, but some force prohibited her from moving a single inch from the spot she was now in. Suddenly, the noise like a thousand gales pushed past her and she closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of whatever force was coming her way, but was soon disappointed when the noise died down suddenly into a wordless sigh._

_ Opening her eyes, she gasped as a small child stood sitting in front of her, looking directly into her face. The boy was the exact replica of Al, only much younger, his childlike eyes large and almost weary. This couldn't be him, could it? Al was a man of twenty four years old, not four. This had to be a hallucination, of course. It was her mind playing on her loss._

_ "You came here searching the truth." The younger Al stated, cocking his head to look at her from another angle._

_ "Did I?" Casi said, pushing a hand through her hair. "I don't think I-"_

_ "Your heart did." He said, smiling lightly, as he got up from his spot, extending his hand out to her. "Come."_

_ She gingerly slid her hand into his, and at once the white world of the gate zoomed away from her, leaving her in complete and utter darkness. She tried to squeeze the child's hand, but like the world from before he too had vanished into thin air. Fumbling into the darkness, she stood walking in every direction, hoping she would get out of whatever place she was now in._

_ As she turned, the darkness faded and a new scene played itself before her eyes. As she adjusted, her heart jumped into her throat as she realized that Al was now standing in front of her, but his back was facing her. He had both of his hands planted on the wall in front of hin, and from where she stood Casi saw the reflection off of something made of glass between his hands. She stepped forward slowly, not wanting to frighten him from whatever trance he was under, but as soon as she stepped behind him her stomach dropped as she caught the reflection of what was really in the mirror. _

_ Instead of Al's young human face being reflected back at him, it was the head piece of a suit of armor, it's eyes glowing brightly from the hollow darkness around it. She reached out to touch Al, but as soon as she touched his arm her mind was flooded with flashes of different images. All around her, she could feel the fear, the darkness, and the screams of pure pain. She saw the suit looking down at its arms, then it walking along side Ed, his red cover giving a glint of the metal arm he also bore. She saw them laughing as the suit of armor reached down and picked up a kitten who had snuck into his hollow body. She saw fights, alchemy, and the emptiness of looking at where their house used to be. How could it be, that this suit of armor felt and had memories? It couldn't be living, could it? It couldn't be Al._

_ "Not everything can be explained by science." A voice echoed softly inside her mind. "He didn't know everything, and had to pay the price for it, a price that you will never know. All he wanted from you was the retribution of someone finally understanding and accepting what he went through. Was that too much to ask? Is it too much for you to find within yourself? You still love him. You do. Even though all of the facts and things you thought existed between the two of you disappeared, you still cling to him. Why then can't you accept his past for what it was?"_

_ She crouched down, hugged herself as the darkness flooded in again. "I don't know! I don't know anything anymore. All I knew was that when Al was with me, everything was the way life was supposed to be! He didn't leave me when I was sick, or when life was hard. He loved every part of me, from my love of animals to my hurts of every color. He knew my past wasn't perfect, so why can't I? I have too! I need him! Al... please come back.."_

Casi awoke the next morning, the dream still clinging tightly in her mind. She looked out at her silent room around her, and shook her head. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. Was she really trying to find the answers, or were they here in front of her all along? But the dream made one thing clear to her: despite everything that had gone downhill with Al, she still needed him. He made her world complete now, and she knew that if she never confronted him again, even if he never spoke a single word to her again kindly, she had to see him one last time, to tell him that she, despite herself, actually believed him.

As she let Eb out later that morning for his daily outing, she stared blankly at a sealed envelope sitting neatly on the doorway outside her house. Her stomach lurched, thinking it could be only two people this envelope would have come from: someone back in Bellsmont or Al. Why would they just leave it there, out in the open, and not even confront her face to face? Opening the envelope carefully, she slid the carefully written letter out and began to read:

Casi,

I am sorry for all of the trouble I have caused you for these past few months. After seeing how much pain it put you through to be around me, I have decided that I will be permanently leaving Central this afternoon Thank you for all of the memories you have given me, the good and the bad. I don't regret your impact on my life, and I never will. But if you cannot have me for the person I really am, then I know us being separated for good is for the best. Please take good care of yourself, and tell Potato and Eb I said goodbye. I love you, Casi, even after all of this trouble. But time will heal, I suppose.

-Al

Casi stared at the letter now shaking in her hands, and she ran into the house, tears brimming out of her eyes. There was no time to think anymore, with Al giving her such little time to react to his abandonment. She ran into her room, and threw on a dress and her light coat, her heart clenching tightly in her chest. Al couldn't leave her, he couldn't! How could she just stay here all alone in this city like an idiot, when someone like him was leaving for good, to some place that she would never know? He was everything to her: her best friend, her comforter, and for the love of all things good, he was the one and only man she could ever love. He completed her, and made her feel like a woman, when everyone else was treating her like a sick child.

Running out the door, her thoughts blurred at she crossed street after street, praying that her feet would carry her to the train station in time. She thought of nothing but seeing his face one last time, even if he was hurt and angry at her. He still loved her when he wrote that letter, and she hoped with all of her might that he had not changed his mind since then. There was so much she had to tell him before he could ever think of seriously leaving her for good!

As she reached the train station, she fought her way through a large crowd coming off the loading and unloading decks. She heard the call for a train heading east, towards Resembool, and she almost wept at the unfair situation she had found herself in. Even after running all of this way, knowing that she could finally right the wrong she had done to Al, she wouldn't be able to utter a word or even catch a glimpse of his face with this blasted crowd fighting its way against her.

Like the light at the end of a tunnel, Casi saw a large gap in the crowd and after a slight trip she found herself running within it, the loading dock for the east bound train a few yards in front of her. And that's when she saw him, sitting silently at a bench near that terminal, his gaze plastered onto the train. She turned to look, and saw the same man she had once tried to chase out of a grocery store grabbing and holding a laughing child in his arms, with a young woman directly behind him. If that man hadn't caught her fancy all of those months ago, she probably would have never have met Al and gone through. The happiness towards this unknowing stranger made the tears sting at her eyes.

Shaking her head, she walked slowly over to Al, who was still gazing into what seemed to be another world. Stopping to stand slightly in front of him, Casi stood, clenching her hands tightly beside her, as she prayed with all of her might that she could say what she needed to say to him. With a small surge of courage, she coughed lightly, breaking Al from his trance. Looking up at her, she could see the raw mask of pain he still wore on his face, but he gave a small smile that sent butterflies into her chest.

"You came to see me off?" He asked, looking at his watch.

"No." She said, shaking her head as the tears started to tumble down her cheeks and across her nose. "Al, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything I said and did to you the last time that we talked. I had no idea you were going to say something like that. What did you expect? I was shocked, maybe even upset that you had the audacity to say something like that. I wasn't prepared."

She stopped, trying to think of anyway to get all of her thoughts in order. Al however, took this opportunity to get up and turn away from her.

"Listen, Casi, I know you couldn't have ever expected that. Even with you backing up your reaction, it really doesn't matter to me. If you can't accept what I told you, even as crazy and made up as it may seem to you, it's the truth. And if you aren't here to tell me that, despite everything I still feel for you, I am going to leave for good. It's the only way either of us are ever going to put our pasts to rest."

"Al!" She cried, reaching out to grab him by the arm. "I-I saw it."

"What?" He asked, swinging around to face her, the shock clearly written all over his face.

"I saw everything: the blood, the screams, the metal suit. I saw you, looking into the metal suit and I knew- I knew it was you! I saw your brother and his metal arm, I saw the alchemy and the fights against those things that made my heart lurch, but most of all, I knew I was wrong. I was wrong for hurting you, when I knew I would never be able to find those answers within my own head. I needed you, I still need you, to be there for me, and help me, despite anything that might have happened to you in your past. You accepted my difficult past without so much as a second thought., so why couldn't I do the same for you? I- I love you, Alphonse Elric, no matter what Fate might have thrown at us in the past, because I know, right here in my heart, that I need you for my future to be even worth living for. So please, don't leave Al. Don't leave me alone."

The silence that followed was almost enough to break Casi's heart. She had just spilled her heart out for him, and the only thing he could do was stand there not uttering a word? It was too much to bear. She wanted him to hold her in his arms, to wipe away every unhappy feeling she had still left in her body, and promise her that he would be here until eternity and back to do that every single day for the rest of her life.

And much to her great surprise, he suddenly did just that, his arms holding her warmly and tightly against his own body, enveloping her in his scent and touch that almost made her want to cry again from the lack of it for the past few weeks. She clung to him burying her face into his neck, as he broke the silence.

"Oh god, Casi, you know I could never leave you." He whispered fiercely into her ear, his hot breath tickling at her hair. "I knew that if I had to leave for good today, I would be leaving a piece of myself. I need you, and I will never leave you alone again."

She broke away from him, and stared into his face. He gave a crooked smile, and took his hands into hers, and it felt like they were the only two people left in the world at that exact moment. Sniffling, she smiled back, taking him in and saying wordless thank yous to whatever force had brought them back together for good. Even though neither of them had many answers to what the future might hold for them, they would take it step by step.

Al kissed her suddenly, breaking her from her thoughts. She felt her heart pound wildly in her chest, and never wanted this feeling to slip away from her. Finally, he pulled away, a deep blush forming on his cheeks.

"Come on, Casi." He said, taking one of his hands in hers.

"Where are we going?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Does it matter?" He laughed, squeezing her hand.

"No." She chuckled, squeezing his hand back. "It's fine to not always know the answer to everything, right?"

He stopped for a moment, and gazed out into the world ahead of them, his eyes shining in the afternoon sunlight. "Right."

**AN: This is the end. Thank you to all who re-found interest in this fanfic. It was a pleasure to finish writing. -E.F.**


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